The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) inaugurated the PRC-Laguna Chapter City of Santa Rosa, Laguna branch blood facility on Thursday, Feb. 20, further strengthening its humanitarian presence and blood services in the province.
PHILIPPINE Red Cross Secretary General Dr. Gwen Pang, PRC Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon, Ofelia Arcillas, Santa Rosa City Laguna Mayor Arlene B. Arcillas, Santa Rosa Vice Mayor Arnold Arcillas, and PRC-Laguna Chapter Administrator Frank Gray Sorromero inaugurate the first blood bank of the PRC in Santa Rosa City, Laguna.
Located at Rotary Lane, Barangay Tagapo, this new station marks a significant milestone as the third PRC branch in Laguna to have a blood facility, underscoring the organization's commitment to delivering life-saving services closer to communities.
The PRC-Laguna Chapter now operates four branches – Santa Cruz, Calamba City, Santa Rosa City, and the newly opened Siniloan branch. While Santa Rosa now has a blood facility, Siniloan remains the only branch without one.
PRC has plans to upgrade Santa Rosa’s blood collecting unit (BCU) and blood station (BS) into a fully operational blood center in the coming months, ensuring even greater accessibility to blood services in the region.
PRC-Laguna Chapter’s aggressive blood donation drive has been a success, surpassing its 2024 annual target collection of 30,000 units by collecting 37,031 units – achieving 123 percent of its goal. This milestone reflects the generosity of donors and the efficiency of PRC’s blood program.
Mayor Arlene Arcillas and Vice Mayor Arnold Arcillas, both consistent supporters of the Red Cross, attended the event, further reinforcing their commitment to community health and emergency response.
PRC Chairman Dick Gordon and Secretary General Dr. Gwen Pang also graced the occasion, emphasizing the significance of expanding blood services in the province.
“The opening of this new blood facility is another step forward in ensuring that no life is lost due to a lack of blood supply,” said Gordon. “With the continued support of our donors, partners, and local government leaders, we are making sure that blood is always available to those who need it most.”
Pang highlighted the organization's future plans. “This is just the beginning. Our goal is to upgrade the Santa Rosa facility into a full-fledged blood center, ensuring that every community in Laguna has access to life-saving blood services. We thank everyone who has contributed to this success.”
The PRC-Laguna Chapter has a long history of pioneering initiatives in local humanitarian service.
In the early 1990s, it became the first PRC chapter to organize Red Cross municipal branches, successfully establishing 29 branches as chapter satellites. These branches played a crucial role in ensuring timely information dissemination and rapid response during disasters.
The inauguration of the PRC-Laguna Chapter City of Santa Rosa Branch Blood Bank and its forthcoming upgrade to a full blood center reaffirm the PRC’s dedication to enhancing emergency response, community health programs, and disaster preparedness efforts across Laguna and its neighboring provinces.
This initiative is especially relevant and timely given the significant increase in dengue cases in many parts of the country.
Visit the Philippine Red Cross pages for more information on how to support or avail of PRC services.