TF Foundation recognized for blood donation project

The Freeman Foundation, the charity arm of The Freeman, received yesterday a certificate of appreciation from the Department of Health-7 for its voluntary blood donation project conducted last year with a total of 23 donors, mostly TF employees.

Regional Blood Coordinating Council president and chairman of the board Jovita Ceniza said that, "through your selfless dedication and commitment to perpetuate the spirit of volunteerism, the Filipino people have been given the chance to enjoy life to the fullest through the units of fresh whole blood you donated."

The awarding was done on the occasion of the culmination of the National Blood Donation Month. DOH-7 recognizes diligent donors who have already donated gallons of blood in the past years and local government units that have been very active in bloodletting activities.

The month of July was declared as Blood Donor's Month pursuant to Republic Act 7719 otherwise known as "Blood Services Act of 1994". The month-long celebration spearheaded by the DOH was carried out in partnership with local government units, the Philippine National Red Cross, the RBCC and other significant stakeholders.

The Blood Donors Month is celebrated nationwide to honor and give recognition to people who donated their precious and life-saving blood voluntarily, or without any monetary consideration, in order to give the most valuable gift of all - to save lives.

Accordingly, the main purpose of the celebration is not to attract huge number of voluntary blood donors, but rather to create wider awareness on the importance of voluntary unpaid blood donation and encourage more people to become regular donors. It aims to have a supply of safe blood for use wherever and whenever it is needed to save lives.

This year's theme is "I'm a blood donor and I save lives." The celebration aims to gain support from the LGUs, PNRC, allied medical staff, voluntary blood donors and other stakeholders.

Ceniza also said that the people who need blood come from all ages and from varied ethnic groups and economic walks of life and if one is not strong of heart, one will totally be lost in the patient's pain. This as most of the people who ask for blood are those who cannot afford.

She pointed out that in 1994, Republic Act 7719 or the National Voluntary Blood Services Program was approved. The law prohibits the sale of blood and has ordered the closure of all commercial blood banks.

"The impact of RBCC became greater. The poor suffer all the more. They can't buy blood, so 30 percent of RBCC's total production goes to charity mostly in public hospitals," Ceniza explained.

This is the very reason why RBCC didn't wait for blood donors to come to their office. Instead, they go out into the municipalities and even to neighboring provinces to conduct bloodletting activities.

"If we wait here in our office, wala'y dugo nga makuha," Ceniza stressed.

The FREEMAN Foundation administrator, Dr. Remedios Bacasmas, said, "while the RBCC continuously looks for blood donors, there are only a few people who are willing to donate blood."

"If only people would realize that the donated blood will go a long way to help save people's lives," Bacasmas said. She pointed out that many sick people are in peril of dying without blood for transfusion.

Ceniza also made it clear that donors do not get paid every time they donate blood. Instead, they receive free blood typing and testing for communicable diseases Hepa B and C, HIV, syphilis and malaria.

As cardholders, they are lifetime members and are on priority when stocks are low.

Parents and siblings of unmarried donors receive the same privilege. Benefits extend to spouse and children if the donor is married. - Garry B. Lao