MANILA, Philippines - Asiawide Refreshments Corp. (ARC), the innovating Filipino company that has brought RC Cola products to the country, joined the annual blood-letting activity of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) recently by donating cases of RC Cola to blood donors.
The activity, made to coincide with the anniversary celebration of Philippine Postal Corporation (PPC) on Liwasang Bonifacio, drew support from the postal company’s more than 300 employees, their families, and friends who came from various parts of the country to give voluntary blood donations.
Dr. Felicitas Angeles Bermudez, medical officer of PNRC National Blood Center, noted how important blood is to many people. Thus, before accepting blood donations, the donors were first made to undergo certain steps to ensure they don’t have any history of blood-borne diseases like syphilis, malaria or HIV. It was only after donors had passed the stringent screening that their blood samples were taken.
And what happened to the blood donors afterwards? Good thing there was RC Cola!
“So the donors wouldn’t get dizzy, we let them drink RC Cola, or any fluid worth about 450 cc to replace whatever fluid we took from them,” explains Paul Alzona, Clerk IV, Health Services Department of PPC. “We have been very supportive of the PNRC’s blood donation drive. In fact, we have signed a memorandum with them and we’re in our third year now.”
RC Cola’s Ryan Tumbagahan, district sales manager of ARC, who himself donated blood during the event, says, “This year’s blood-letting activity at PPC is not the first time our company is supporting such undertakings. We’ve always been supportive of activities that benefit our fellow men, especially if they are well within our means. Just the thought that we’ve indirectly helped facilitate the donation of blood for those in need, someone I don’t even know, already means something. For me, it’s a personal accomplishment in itself.”