The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) recently teamed up for a bloodletting activity and help replenish the blood reserves in the country.

In a press release Sunday, PRC said a total of 83 blood units were generated from the bloodletting activity which happened at the PCSO Head Office on Shaw Blvd. in Mandaluyong City on Jan. 20 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

PRC Chairperson and CEO Richard Gordon thanked donors and partners, including the PCSO, for several years of collaboration with the humanitarian organization.

“Ang dugo ay hindi pwedeng i-manufacture ng tao. Tanging mga donasyon ng dugo ang maaari lamang pagkuhanan ng dugo ng mga nangangailangan nito. Kung kaya’t nagpapasalamat ako sa mga donors at partners natin kagaya ng PCSO sa ilang taon nilang pakikipagtulungan sa Philippine Red Cross sa pagsasagawa ng ganitong blood donation activity. Ang dugo na makukuha natin mula sa activity na ito ay para sa lahat ng Pilipino (Blood cannot be manufactured by humans. Only blood donations can be obtained from those who need it. That’s why, I thank our donors and partners such as PCSO for their several years of collaboration with the Philippines Red Cross for this blood donation activity. The blood we will get from this activity is for all Filipinos),” Gordon said.

PCSO General Manager Melquiades Robles, meanwhile, lauded the PCSO for supporting PRC’s blood donation activities as part of their “parallel and aligned mission” of helping people.

The PCSO is a longtime member of PRC’s Blood Samaritan Program, a program that aims to seek kind-hearted individuals and groups that are willing to provide financial donations to cover the payment of blood processing fees of indigent patients.

From Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 last year, the PRC National Blood Services collected 448, 928 units of blood from 400, 955 donors. As of Jan.18, 2023, the PRC dispensed 13, 938 units of blood.

PRC maintains a steady supply of blood products from the generosity of its donors and blood-letting activities that gather these donors.

Donated blood is essential because it helps patients survive pregnancy complications, dengue, accident injuries, and surgical and cancer treatment.

For blood donations, blood requests and other inquiries, email the PRC National Blood Services at nbs.recruitment@redcross.org.ph or contact the PRC Blood Call Center, which may be reached nationwide by dialing 143.

PRC is a humanitarian organization in the country, committed to providing quality life-saving services that protect the life and dignity, especially of indigent Filipinos in vulnerable situations.

To date, the Philippine Red Cross provides six major services: Blood Services, Disaster Management Services, Safety Services, Health Services, Social Services, Red Cross Youth and Volunteer Services. (PNA)