Red Cross opens 3rd blood station in Mandaue

Sen. Richard Gordon, Philippine Red Cross chairman, inspects the blood bank facilities in Mandaue City with Dr. Monina Nalupfa (left), director of blood services for the Philippine Red Cross. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) inaugurated its third blood station in Cebu located within their Cebu headquarters in Barangay Jagobiao, Mandaue City, Cebu yesterday.

The new facility is equipped with a blood bank refrigerator and a power generator set and is capable of providing blood especially for people in the northern parts of Cebu.

“This new blood facility is part of the realization of our dream to set up a blood facility in every corner of the country to make life-saving blood available to everyone wherever and whenever they need it,” said Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross.

PRC invested P1.5 million for the new facility in Mandaue City. PRC operates blood stations in Lapu-Lapu City and Cebu City. They plan to open one in Bogo in the north and Argao in south Cebu.

PRC has 86 blood facilities across the country.

Aside from inaugurating the new blood facility yesterday, Gordon also went to Bogo City to turn over shelters to beneficiaries as part of its Operation Haiyan for those displaced by Super Typhoon Yolanda three years ago.

The turnover ceremony marked the end of the partnership between PRC and the Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) which completed its programs for victims of the super typhoon.

“JRCS is one of our valued partners that helped us provide assistance to the people of Cebu after Super Typhoon Yolanda,” Gordon said.

Through JRCS, Gordon said PRC managed to provide shelter, livelihood, skills trainings and other projects for people affected by the super typhoon.