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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Philippine Red Cross launches Blood Summit 2026 to future-proof blood services through safety and innovation

Philippine Red Cross launches Blood Summit 2026 to future-proof blood services through safety and innovation

Published Feb 6, 2026 03:14 pm
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) opens the Blood Summit 2026, bringing together health experts nationwide to strengthen blood safety, sustainability, and innovation across the country. (Photo from PRC)
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) opens the Blood Summit 2026, bringing together health experts nationwide to strengthen blood safety, sustainability, and innovation across the country. (Photo from PRC)
To strengthen and modernize the country’s blood services, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) officially opened the PRC Blood Summit 2026.
The three-day summit, held from February 5 to 7 in partnership with Abbott Laboratories and Transfusion Medicine, brings together blood bank personnel, health professionals, and PRC chapter administrators nationwide at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria.
With the theme “Future-Proofing Blood Services through Safety, Sustainability, and Innovation,” PRC said the summit aims to equip stakeholders with the latest trends in blood banking while promoting standardized, resilient, and patient-centered blood service systems across the Philippines.
PRC Assistant Secretary General and Director of the National Blood Services, Dr. Christie Monina Nalupta, described the summit as “a laboratory for progress,” urging participants to rethink systems that can withstand future disruptions.
“Blood is not a commodity but the highest standard of care,” Nalupta said. “We must build systems that are safe, sustainable, and innovative,” she added.
Strengthening partnerships for safer blood services
Anastasia Satyawan, Business Manager for Transfusion Medicine at Abbott Laboratories for Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, highlighted the importance of the PRC-Abbott partnership in advancing community health.
“The work we do together shapes the future of community health,” Satyawan said, encouraging delegates to explore Abbott’s technological innovations designed to enhance blood donation services and strengthen blood supply resilience.
Representing the World Health Organization (WHO), Acting Deputy WHO Representative to the Philippines Olivia Lawe-Davies emphasized the critical role of strong systems in ensuring a safe blood supply.
“Safe blood saves lives, but systems are critical,” Lawe-Davies said, commending PRC’s leadership in promoting patient safety and healthcare resilience through sustainable blood service systems.
DOH backs collaborative approach
Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Dr. Teodoro Herbosa also recognized the Philippine Red Cross as the “cornerstone of the nation’s blood services,” stressing the importance of collective action in maintaining a safe and sufficient blood supply.
“Safe and sustainable blood services are vital to public health,” Herbosa said. “Access to safe blood is not just a service but a shared responsibility,” he added.
Herbosa further emphasized that collaboration among government agencies, private partners, and humanitarian organizations is essential to sustaining the safety and adequacy of the national blood supply.
PRC unveils National Action Plan for Blood Services 2026–2030
PRC Secretary General Dr. Gwendolyn Pang presented the National Action Plan for PRC Blood Services 2026–2030, which aims to ensure a safe, accessible, adequate, affordable, and sustainable (SAAAS) blood supply nationwide.
Key strategies include achieving 100 percent voluntary blood donation, strengthening inter-chapter coordination, improving logistics and quality management systems, enhancing financial and operational sustainability, and integrating modern technologies such as digital health platforms and advanced testing systems.
“This National Action Plan reflects our commitment to transform blood services into a system that is not only sustainable but also adaptive and forward-thinking,” Pang said. “Through Red Cross 143, Pledge 25, and our strong quality systems, we will continue to safeguard lives and strengthen national health security,” she added.
PRC leadership reaffirms commitment
In a message shared during the summit, PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard J. Gordon reaffirmed the organization’s vision of universal access to safe blood.
“Safe blood is life itself. The Philippine Red Cross stands at the forefront of ensuring that every patient, regardless of circumstance, has access to adequate, accessible, and safe blood,” Gordon said.
“Together with our partners, we are building a future that is not only resilient but also compassionate,” he added, underscoring PRC’s commitment to lead innovations that make blood services safer, more sustainable, and more responsive to future challenges.
Expert discussions highlight workforce and donor strategies
PRC said Day 1 of the summit featured key presentations from Ronaldo E. Puno, president of the Biorisk Association of the Philippines, who discussed workforce competency and institutional capacity in blood services, and Dr. Robby Nur Aditya Si of the Indonesian Red Cross, who shared strategies to improve donor availability in low-resource settings.
The day concluded with a presentation on PRC’s Safe Card program, followed by an interactive question-and-answer session with participants.
The Philippine Red Cross Blood Summit 2026 runs until February 7, with upcoming sessions focusing on blood safety, technological innovation, and collaborative future planning to strengthen the country’s blood services system. 

Related Tags

Philippine Red Cross Blood Summit 2026 blood services in the Philippines safe and sustainable blood supply PRC National Action Plan for Blood Services blood banking innovation Philippines
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