PRC mobilizes teams and staff after earthquake jolts Cotabato and nearby provinces anew; PRC continues fight vs Dengue & Polio
In response to the magnitude 6.6 earthquake that hit several parts of Mindanao on Tuesday, October 29, 2019, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) immediately dispatched volunteers, staff, rescue teams, Emergency personnel and ambulances to South Cotabato, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato, Davao del Sur, General Santos City and Davao City and is continuously assessing and monitoring the situation on the ground to determine further assistance needed.
“People have been evacuated such as in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato, the Philippine Red Cross has assisted in evacuation of families,” PRC Chairman and CEO Richard Gordon said.
Welfare desks have been established in North Cotabato and Davao del Sur to relieve the stress and trauma suffered by the residents while hot meals were also provided by PRC at the Dominican Hospital in Davao del Sur.
“In areas where electrical supply and water access have been disrupted, PRC is prepared to deploy field medical tents with generators for the injured and water tankers, bladders and filtration units for the community if needed,” Gordon added.
The concerned Chapters also activated Red Cross Action Team, Volunteers and Search-and-Rescue Teams.
In response to a different crisis situation, PRC recently finished its support to the Mass Polio Vaccination Program of the government in Metro Manila, Davao City, Davao del Sur and Lanao del Sur in Mindanao with more than 65,000 children vaccinated by more than 600 Red Cross volunteers from October 14 to October 27, and a continuation will be held in November 2019 and January 2020.
“The original target children to be vaccinated was only 30,000 but, with so much effort from PRC’s staff and volunteers, the target was doubled,” Gordon said.
This activity is in partnership with the Department of Health and with the support from the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
PRC is also actively responding to the Dengue outbreak and has already served more than 6,600 patients thru its dengue medical tents installed in government hospitals in Iloilo, Cavite and Iligan City.
