Mark the date: Dec. 7, 2026

Almost every time someone I know is scheduled for surgery, delivery or is in a medical emergency, chances are family members will soon be making an online appeal for blood.

Seeing the fear or sensing the desperation in their appeals always makes me wonder why people have to plead or beg for blood donors. Some run to the Philippine Red Cross which has always been a dependable and reliable source for blood.

Ironically, while many appreciate the Philippine Red Cross, most of us don’t appreciate it enough to give blood or be donors on our own. Most of the time, giving blood is a result of a company activity, where “if the boss gives, then I have to give.”

I understand that people find it inconvenient or disruptive to their schedule to go to the hospital to give blood. In several cases, I know of people who got turned off with giving blood because they were turned away due to age, high blood pressure or post screening.

I can understand the sense of rejection and inconvenience that one may experience but believe me, all the tests and screening are also meant to save lives.

There was a time when tests and screening hardly existed back in the day when people actually sold their blood for cash. As a result, the blood of disease-carrying individuals, addicts, etc. entered the blood banks. Instead of saving lives, the “bad” blood ended up infecting recipients.

The overall picture is that Filipinos are poorly informed, misinformed or have not had the difficult or painful experience of desperately needing blood to save someone they love.

What is interesting is in families or communities where such an experience has happened multiple times, a call for blood donors is answered with a swarm of “volunteers” night or day. As they say, it is an experience and lesson you would not wish on anyone.

There is of course the fear factor. Fear of needles and the imagined or felt pain that lasts a minute. But in an emergency or major surgery, you could be directly responsible for saving someone’s life.

Bring to mind how many of us seek the meaning of life, praying for guidance and purpose or wanting to make a difference. Sometimes the meaning of life is simply to save a life by giving blood, extend a life or give hope to people. Pray about it, please.

In the meantime, please mark the day in your calendar – Dec. 7, 2026 when the Rizal Medical Center will be conducting a blood donation drive from 8 a.m. to noon at the blood donation room of RMC.

In celebration of its 85th founding anniversary,  the Rizal Medical Center is targeting 150 to 200 successful blood donors. Based on experience, only a portion of individuals who attend blood donation activities are ultimately qualified to donate after undergoing the required screening and assessment.

If you are squeamish or uncertain about hospital surroundings, let me assure you that the RMC blood donation room is up to par if not better set up like the top private hospitals in Metro Manila. It looks more like a salon than a blood donation room.

I would like to encourage companies, churches, homeowners associations, barkadas and athletic teams to get in touch with the Rizal Medical Center in order to arrange your involvement in the project. This would also help the hospital in knowing how many people to prepare for.

Remember the date: Dec. 7, 2026. For particulars please call Jovani Padrigano, RN at 0933-8282957.

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Since I’ve started the month of October with a public service announcement, I may as well keep going with lifesaving information that originates from Hong Kong, Russia and Paris.

In Hong Kong, a 27-year-old female cyclist was found unconscious and later died at a local hospital as a result of being attacked by three dogs. The woman reportedly had lacerations on her head, neck, face, arms and legs. The incident was the latest of several reported dog biting incidents.

I share this online info because stray dogs are a common site in the Philippines and dog bites are more common than we think. If Jonvic Remulla wants to do some good, he might want to put down the law on stray cats and dogs before rabies becomes a serious problem.

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The Department of Health has actively informed the public of rising cases of leptospirosis that have also resulted in death. While DOH treats the disease, why is the DILG and DOH not doing something to eliminate or reduce rat populations which carry the disease?

In Paris, the city has an active information campaign regarding food waste which contributes to increasing rat populations. Perhaps it’s time for barangays to put out rewards for every dead rat.

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As for Russia, several articles have revealed that Russia continues to recruit unsuspecting foreigners with salary offers of $1,000 to $1,500 and citizenship to go to Russia.

Those who take the bait, mostly Africans, end up being sent to the frontlines as suicide bombers, beaten or tortured by their comrades for refusing to fight. Last I remember there were four Filipinos believed to have ended up in the war zone between Ukraine and Russia, with one confirmed death.

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