Philippine Red Cross comes to town’s rescue

PRC chairman Richard Gordon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JESS YUSON

A mother due to deliver her baby and an 11-year-old child who had been running a fever for two days were among the 108 people in Calumpit, Bulacan, who were rescued and taken to a hospital by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC).

Volunteers of the PRC have joined forces with government rescue teams in responding to the massive floods in the towns of Calumpit and Hagonoy in Bulacan.

In a statement issued on Friday, PRC chairman Richard Gordon said the humanitarian agency had deployed its amphibian truck, 11 rubber boats, two 6×6 trucks and ambulances to Calumpit to help in the rescue efforts.

More than 2,000 Red Cross 143 volunteers are on full alert in the disaster-stricken areas and providing transport and other basic support to the affected families, Gordon said.

He said more life-saving equipment and volunteers would be deployed to the province.

Arsenia Anosa of the PRC’s Bulacan chapter said that of the 24 towns in the province, Calumpit and Hagonoy were the worst hit, with the floodwaters rising to the rooftops.

This is the worst flooding in the province in the past 40 years, she said.

PRC secretary general Gwendolyn Pang said a truckload of relief packs from the agency’s headquarters were to be sent Saturday to Bulacan in addition to the relief goods available at the local chapter.

The relief packs consist of five kilos of rice, three cans of sardines and five packs of noodles.

Pang said the PRC was also ready for the immediate deployment of its health and welfare teams to provide basic health care and psychosocial support to evacuees.

The Red Cross welcomes cash donations for its relief efforts. Donations may be deposited to Banco de Oro peso account No. 453-0018647, Swift Code BNORPHMM; or Metrobank US dollar account No. 151-2-151002182, peso account No. 151-3-04163122-8, euro account No. 016-201650005-9, yen account No. 151-2-15130001-9, Swift Code MBTCPHMM.

Call 527-0000 for inquiries.