Troops in Marawi get life-saving donation

An Army soldier was one of at least 150 people who donated blood for wounded soldiers in Marawi City during an event hosted by the Southern Luzon Command in Lucena City. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

LUCENA CITY — Money, medicines, clothes and food had been donated for government soldiers fighting terror in Marawi City but the donation made by at least 150 people here could be the most personal — their blood.

The donors waited for their turn to give blood at a covered court in the military’s Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) headquarters in a bloodletting event dubbed “Dugo para sa Kapayapaan (Blood for Peace)” organized by Solcom.

Capt. Alvin Mark Bonayao, Solcom spokesperson, said at least 64,350 cubic centimeters of blood (enough to fill 64 Coke Litro bottles) had been collected during the daylong event from civilians, soldiers, policemen and reservists.

Maj. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr., Solcom commander, in a statement said that the blood donation campaign “is our way of supporting our troops and helping the victims of the Marawi crisis.”

The campaign to collect blood would continue, Madrigal said, adding that more volunteers were needed to donate blood for soldiers wounded in the Marawi war.

“Let us donate blood to help and save lives,” Madrigal said.

Bonayao said the bloodletting event at the Solcom headquarters was part of the blood donation component of “National Peace Consciousness Month.”

He said the military, including the reservist force, was observing National Peace Consciousness Month in partnership with the Philippine National Police’s Peace and Development Office and the group Dugong Alay, Dugtong Buhay.

The military has suffered 136 casualties so far in the war in Marawi. At least 1,000 soldiers had been wounded in the fighting that had gone past 100 days and which President Duterte said he wanted to end soon.