Talisay OKs measure about blood donation

CEBU, Philippines - The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Talisay City approved an ordinance that institutionalizes a voluntary blood donation program.

The Committee on Laws and Ordinances of the City Council chaired by Councilor Socrates Fernandez has already rendered its report and sees no legal impediment in the proposal.

In fact, the report said the move actually "harmonizes" with Republic Act 7719 or the National Blood Services Act of 1994.

"The Committee finds out that the ordinance is not contrary to the approved ordinance if read in its entirety. The Committee finds out that the ordinance is not an ultra vires act," the report read.

City Councilor Richard Francis "Choy" Aznar, who authored the ordinance, said the program involves the conduct of massive bloodletting and blood typing, and seeks to provide a local mechanism by which Republic Act 7719 will be implemented in the city to promote public health.

Under the ordinance, the 22 barangays will identify at least one percent of its population who are 18 years old and above to undergo bloodletting every six months.

Their names will be entered into a databank of the barangay and shared with the City Health Office that will manage it.

Each barangay will also have its list of walking blood donors according to blood types and with their contact numbers.

"The capabilities of local government units, especially the municipalities and barangays, shall be enhanced by providing them with opportunities to participate actively in the implementation of national programs and projects," Fernandez said in the report.

Aznar, chairman of the Committee on Health, also said the ordinance will promote and encourage voluntary blood donation by the constituency and will install and heighten public awareness of the principle that blood donation is a humanitarian act and a community responsibility.

Under the ordinance, the blood donor program in the barangays will be made a regular but voluntary activity in the barangay. This will be conducted every July, which will be considered Barangay Blood Donors' Month.

There will also be a separate list for people with rare blood types or those with type AB or RH negative, with their addresses and contact numbers, to facilitate coordination in case of emergencies.

Aznar said the walking blood donors are individuals included in the list of qualified donors who are ready to donate blood whenever needed by the community.

The city government will be setting aside funds as seed money for the operation of the Barangay Blood Donors' program in the first year of its implementation.

The funds shall be used to purchase blood bags, reagents and other materials used for bloodletting.

Aznar said the barangay is authorized to set aside one percent annually to be taken from the 20-percent Barangay Development Fund to finance the annual bloodletting activity, in the second and succeeding years of implementation.  (FREEMAN)