ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Philippine Red Cross gears up for rainy season: Volunteers, resources on standby

Philippine Red Cross gears up for rainy season: Volunteers, resources on standby

Published Jun 9, 2025 09:08 pm
Highlighting its disaster readiness, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) swiftly mobilized its network of two million volunteers and emergency response assets as the rainy season sets in. (Photo from PRC)
Highlighting its disaster readiness, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) swiftly mobilized its network of two million volunteers and emergency response assets as the rainy season sets in. (Photo from PRC)
As the rainy season begins, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) announced that it has mobilized its volunteers and prepositioned essential resources nationwide to ensure a swift response to potential emergencies—including floods, landslides, and other weather-related disasters.
“The Philippine Red Cross is ready and on high alert as we officially enter the rainy season,” PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dick Gordon said in a statement issued on Monday, June 9.
“Taun-taon tayong naghahanda para rito at mas pinapalakas pa natin ang ating kapasidad para mas marami tayong buhay na mapangalagaan at maligtas (Every year, we prepare for this and continue to strengthen our capacity so we can protect and save more lives),” he added.
Gordon also instructed PRC staff and volunteers from the national headquarters and 102 chapters across the country to initiate planning and preparations for potential rescue and relief operations, as a low-pressure area (LPA) and the southwest monsoon (habagat) continue to bring rains to various regions.
The PRC will deploy resources from its eight regional warehouses, including 178 ambulances, 36 food trucks, 29 water tankers, 21 Volunteer Emergency Response Vehicles (VERVs), amphibious vehicles, rescue boats, and other emergency units. A dedicated drone and satellite internet communications network will also be activated.
The PRC said it will also mobilize 17 Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) hubs outfitted with mobile purification units and emergency water bladders, along with three field hospitals, 128 medical tents, and 5,700 medical corps volunteers. These efforts are reinforced by 109 blood service facilities, mobile health units, and vaccination buses.
PRC’s 4Ps: Safety measures
The PRC reminded the public to uphold its 4Ps in disaster response—Predict, Plan, Prepare, and Practice—as part of proactive safety measures.
“Preparation is the key to survival,” Gordon said. With the Philippines prone to tropical cyclones due to its geographical location, he urged the public to remain vigilant and follow the 4Ps.
“Nandito ang Red Cross para tulungan kayo anumang oras, pero mahalaga rin na alam ninyo kung paano tulungan ang inyong mga sarili sa oras ng sakuna (The Red Cross is here to help you at any time, but it's also important that you know how to help yourselves during times of disaster),” Gordon emphasized.
Always ready
Meanwhile, PRC Secretary-General Dr. Gwen Pang reminded everyone to get their ‘Go Bags’ ready—just in case an evacuation becomes necessary.
“Even before a disaster strikes, we encourage everyone to organize their personal ‘Go Bag,’ which contains essential supplies like food, water, emergency tools, medicines, clothes, money, and important documents that can last for a few days,” she said. “Mahalaga ito para handa tayo sa posibleng paglikas (This is important so that we’re prepared for a possible evacuation),” she added.
In case of emergencies, the public may contact the PRC’s 24/7 hotline by dialing 143.

Related Tags

Philippine Red Cross rainy season 2025 Red Cross disaster response Philippines PRC flood rescue operations Philippine Red Cross emergency preparedness PRC volunteers rainy season
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.