Red Cross to promote disaster preparedness

The Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) will launch an information drive on Tuesday which aims to train people in the communities in disaster preparedness and management.

Senator and PNRC chairman Richard Gordon said the idea behind the information campaign, dubbed "Project 143: I Love You Red Cross," is "helping people to help themselves."

He said one of the project’s objectives is to recruit at least 43 volunteers in every barangay and train them in disaster management, blood donation and advocacy, and community health.

"The PNRC created Project 143 to improve its capacity at the grassroots. We want local people on the ground to be the ‘eyes and ears’ of the Red Cross," Gordon said. "The project will train 43 volunteers per barangay who will be educated in specific Red Cross services."

The PNRC, as the Philippines’ premier humanitarian organization, maintains an extensive network of volunteers that provides assistance to Filipinos in need, he said.

"In recent years, these volunteers have spearheaded rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations in 13 Central Luzon provinces that have been struck by successive typhoons Yoyong, Undang, Violeta and Winnie (2004); rebuilt homes of people rendered homeless by landslides in Guinsaugon, Southern Leyte; deployed rescue equipment during the Ultra stampede and provided relief aid to its survivors; and distributed food and hygiene kits to evacuees who lost their homes due to typhoon Milenyo," he said.

Gordon said of the 43 volunteers, the project will train nine of them in health and welfare; another nine will make up the so-called Barangay Disaster Action Team; and 25 will become blood donors and advocates of voluntary blood donation.

Aside from specialized training, the new recruits will also receive disaster management training to equip them with adequate knowledge on emergency response and preparedness, as well as data gathering, assessment and reporting.

The project is expected not only to boost the number of volunteers but also to help improve the quality of PNRC’s humanitarian work, Gordon said.

"The disaster management training is especially important in communities prone to natural disasters," Gordon said, who also inspired volunteerism in Subic where he served as chairman. "Through this we can prepare them to respond effectively and independently to crisis situations, so they would know what to do in case a typhoon or landslide occurs."

Those who are interested to participate may call the PNRC Hotline at 527-0000 or visit its website at www.redcross.org.ph. — Helen Flores