As people are prone to accidents, seasonal illnesses, and the effects of severe weather this holiday season, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) on Wednesday, Dec. 20 called on the public to become “blood donors.”
“This holiday season more of our fellow citizens will need blood,” PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard Gordon said in a statement.
"Ang dugo ay hindi pwedeng i-manufacture ng tao. Tanging mga donasyon ng dugo ang maaari lamang pagkuhanan ng dugo ng mga nangangailangan nito. (Blood cannot be manufactured by humans. Only blood donations can get blood from those who need it),” he added.
“Your blood will serve as a gift and hope to Filipinos this Christmas,” he also said.
Every drop counts
A single unit of blood can be a lifeline for several people — according to the PRC Blood Services.
It explained that each donation can be separated into red blood cells, plasma, and platelets, which will serve a medical purpose to potentially benefit and treat their particular condition.
Furthermore, PRC Secretary-General Dr. Gwen Pang highlighted the medical advantages of blood donation, including reduced risk of heart and liver diseases, potential cancer prevention, new blood cell generation, and even cholesterol reduction.
Pang called on to "spread the spirit of love and compassion this Christmas by donating blood."
The humanitarian organization has provided contact details for inquiries about blood donations and requests, including the PRC National Blood Services email [email protected] and the nationwide PRC Blood Call Center reachable through dialing 143.