TACLOBAN CITY- The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Leyte Chapter only serves as a blood collection unit.
Miguel Tezon, PRC Chapter president, informed that all the facilities used in processing the donated blood were damaged after Leyte was devastated by super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ in 2013, thus from being a blood center, their agency here has been downgraded to just a collection unit.
However, Tezon pointed out that their office is ready to accept blood donations anytime which will then be transported to its office in Ormoc City which serves as its blood center.
Donated blood that undergo processing and ready to be donated stays in Ormoc blood center, he said.
The Leyte PRC Chapter will only have blood stocks enough for a day’s use, Tezon added.
He said that clients who need blood must bring with them doctor’s prescription to determine the kind of blood and unit needed by their patients.
Tezon also said that patients who go to their office needing blood must pay P1,800 for every 400ml.
The reason for the payment is for the processing of blood which needs medicine and chemical reagents.
Tezon informed that to date, PRC Leyte Chapter has an existing agreement with the Department of Social Welfare and Development which shoulders the payment for indigent patients.
The indigent patients must comply the documents requirements set by DSWD before they could issue a guarantee letter for the patients to avail free bags of blood.
The PRC, meantime, issue an appeal for individuals to continue to donate blood for them to help save lives.
Donating blood is a very safe procedure and is not harmful. The donor will be assessed for eligibility by medical personnel before donating blood. The donor must be at least 16 years old and weighing 110 lbs.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

MANILA-U.S. Marines and Sailors with the 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade, together with their Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) counterparts, successfully concluded the inaugural exercise KAMANDAG yesterday during a closing ceremony at Marine Barracks Rudiardo Brown, Taguig, Philippines.
KAMANDAG, which ran from October 2 to 11, is an acronym for the Filipino phrase “Kaagapay Ng Mga Mandirigma Ng Dagat,” or “Cooperation of Warriors of the Sea.” The name emphasizes the close partnership between the Philippine and United States militaries.
In preparation for KAMANDAG, the service members partnered to complete humanitarian and civic assistance projects. Members of the AFP, Japan Ground Self Defense Force, and U.S. military renovated C.J. Torre Elementary School, Esperanza Elementary School, and Esperanza Daycare Center, in Casiguran. U.S. military medical teams also taught basic lifesaving skills, first aid, disease prevention, and dental hygiene to children and teachers in Casiguran as part of a cooperative health engagement.
During KAMANDAG, U.S. and Philippine service members practiced combat lifesaving techniques, live fire training, maritime search and seizure, urban terrain operations, and aviation support planning. U.S. Marine amphibious assault vehicles (AAV) embarked and launched from a Philippine Navy sea lift vessel, the BRP Tarlac (LD-601), for the first time ever. This success expands both militaries’ operational support capabilities to provide relief during humanitarian disasters, as well as move forces ashore during a terrorist crisis.
“This kind of integrated training prepares the Philippine vessel to carry Philippine Marine Corps AAVs in the future,” said Philippine Marine Corps Public Affairs Officer, Capt. Maria R. Dalmacio. She noted that the Philippine Marine Corps plans to acquire AAVs by 2019.
KAMANDAG increased overall U.S. and Philippine military readiness, improved bilateral responsiveness, and strengthened the working relationships that embody our illustrious decades-long alliance. (PR)

Under a cloud of being abused

TACLOBAN CITY- Starting this month, all the 138 barangays of this city would be required to install drop boxes wherein names of suspected drug dependents, among others, would be dropped in.
Lawyer Darwin Bibar, city local operations officer, said that the drop box is one of the mechanisms wherein names of individuals who are suspected for committing illegal acts could be charged accordingly.
He, however, said that barangay residents who have a complaint against their co-residents or officials, fearing their security, and whom they claimed to have committed crimes like corruption or abuse of authority, could also use the drop box.
“We are doing this with the consent of the barangays and we have requested the (barangay people) to report all kinds of crimes to include illegal drugs,” Bibar said.
Asked on the possibility that this mechanism could be abused, Bibar said that they have devised a scheme to verify the information.
“There is a safety measure because we are aware that this could be subjected to abuse. We will ensure that this report will undergo validation process and will be forwarded to the concerned agency like the city police or PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) or Office of the Ombudsman,” he said.
“We will not just act on them without undergoing a validation, considering this will be done anonymously,” Bibar added.
He also added that their office has trained personnel on intelligence gathering.
Their office will issue an envelope to the barangays which they will use in writing the names whom they suspect to be drug dependents, for example, Bibar said.
Bibar said that the putting up of the drop boxes in the villages is in consonance to a directive from their central office in the light of their campaign dubbed as ‘Masa Masid’ or ‘Mamamayan Ayaw sa Anomaliya, Mamamayan Ayaw sa Iligal na Droga.’
Ronnie Dayon, barangay chairman of Brgy.71, this city, said that while he would comply with this directive, he still has apprehension on the putting up of drop boxes.
“There is no doubt that this could be abused. One who has an axe to grind against his neighbor, for example, could write the name and place it in the drop box,” he said.
About 27 drug users of Dayan’s village voluntarily surrendered under the government’s ‘Oplan Tokhang.’
Bibar said that while their office is behind on this campaign, it is the barangay which will shoulder the cost in the making of the drop box.
According to Bibar, each drop box would cost P1,300 and should be made from a fiberglass and placed outside the barangay halls.
“The fund should be sourced from their Badac (barangay anti-drug council),” he said.
He added that they target to put up all the drop boxes by October 25.
Aside from the barangay halls, they also intend to put drop boxes at the City Hall and even Church.

‘Yolanda’ anniversary

TACLOBAN CITY- The Sangguniang Panlungsod of this city unanimously approved an ordinance declaring every November 8, the day Tacloban was devastated by super typhoon ‘Yolanda,’ as a day of remembrance and gratitude.
The measure, principally authored by Councilor Aurora Aimee Delgado-Grafil, was passed by the city council on September 20.
“November 8 of every year is hereby declared as ‘A Day of Remembrance and Gratitude’ in the city of Tacloban to pay tribute to the memory of all who died during the onslaught of (super) typhoon ‘Yolanda’, to the survivors whose resiliency inspired people around the globe, and to all volunteers and organizations who took part and contributed in the recovery and rehabilitation efforts of the city,” part of the ordinance said.
The same ordinance mandates that the Office of the City Mayor, through the City Tourism Office, as the lead agency to come up in the planning, implementation, and supervision of the annual activities with the coordination of non-government and government organizations.
The measure is deemed effective upon its approval by the city council.
A similar measure was earlier approved by the House of Representatives authored by Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez.
Under House Bill 4383, every Nov.8 should be ‘Yolanda Commemoration’ and special non-working holiday across the region.
Aside from Grafil, who chairs the committee on environmental protection and waste management, the measure was also authored by Councilors Gerry Uy, Evangeline Esperas, Raissa Villasin and Jose Mario Bagulaya with Councilor Maria Elvira Casal as co-sponsor.
Tacloban is considered the ground zero of Yolanda, considered the strongest typhoon to hit inland.
More than 2,200 people from the city died while about P10 billion worth of properties were destroyed when Yolanda barreled the city on November 8, 2013.
The recovery of Tacloban became fast and smooth as various governments and international organizations, to include those under the umbrella of the United Nations, came to the city to help recover its people.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)