Two hundred forty six (246) bags of blood will hike up the blood supply of Philippine Red Cross – Sultan Kudarat as the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Tacurong concluded its “Alay Dugo sa Araw ng mg Puso” bloodletting act on February 14, 2021, at the Tacurong City Cultural and Sports Center.
While this figure has exceeded the LGU’s anticipation of 150 blood bag collection, the collected blood, however, will still undergo series of tests to pass as safe for blood transfusion and some will be properly discarded once screening results state otherwise.
The event was carried out as part of the Disaster Response and Disaster Preparedness to cater to the high volume demand of blood in the province amplified by the coronavirus pandemic. The bloodletting was also pushed through to compensate for the cancelled blood donation last year due to the current crisis.
LDRRM Officer Rodrigo Jamorabon expressed his appreciation to the supportive efforts of various individuals from Philippine Army 6O1st Infantry Brigade, First Mechanized Brigade, 40th Infantry Battalion, 7th Infantry Battalion, Joint Task Force – Talakudong, Bureau of Fire Protection – Tacurong, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Association of Barangay Council, Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), City Schools Division of Tacurong, 4Ps beneficiaries, Junior Chamber International (JCI) – Tacurong Kampilan, ASEANA Marketing, LGBTQ+ Community, City Health Office, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), and civilians from different walks of life.
LGU-Tacurong, along with its partner-stakeholders, was able to prepare and distribute ‘arroz caldo’, ‘balut’, soft drinks, bread, and coffee for the replenishment of the donors’ energy after their blood extraction. Female donors have also received red roses at the venue in commemoration of Valentine’s Day. (DEC, LGU-TacInfo)