Unknown to many, there is a network of barangay volunteers called Red Cross 143 in at least 42,000 barangays all over the country, numbering about 1.8 million.
According to Philippine National Red Cross Leyte Chapter administrator Ms. Marcela G. Pagasartonga, Red Cross 143 has been organized in the various barangays (neighborhoods) of the province of Leyte and in the other areasof the Region.
As guest of the Suruswerte Ha PIA radio program, Ms. Pagasartonga revealedthat Red Cross 143 is the flagship volunteer program of PRC aimed at recruiting 44 volunteers in every barangay one leader and 43 members.
The volunteers trained on various PRC services, including disaster management and response, first aid, blood services health and welfare, as well as the advancementof the International Humanitarian Law.
Red Cross 143 is a program developed by PNRC for the purpose of fulfilling its mission to bring timely, effective and compassionate humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable. Organizers of the Red Cross 143 program envision a network of volunteers in every community nationwide that would provide essential information and be mobilized in the field in the event of emergencies or disasters, Ms. Pagasartonga said.
Each group consists of 1 Barangay Leader or Coordinator, 9 volunteers as members of the Barangay Disaster Action Team or Barangay Disaster Response Team, 9 volunteers as Community Health and Welfare Assistants and 25 Red Cross blood donors, advocates and supporters.
The primary goal of Red Cross 143 is to promote a culture of self help in communities by developing a formidable network of Red Cross volunteers to respond rapidly and efficiently in times of emergencies and disasters.
Its principal task is to provide immediate relief assistance and emergency response in time of disasters as well as delivery of health and welfare programs including blood services in normal situations.
Furthermore, Ms. Pagasartonga informed that Red Cross 143 holds specific tasks before a disaster such as keeping of a baseline data of the households in the area of coverage including blood type of household members, identification of possible evacuation areas and routes, participation in the planning, conduct and assessment of evacuation drills, promotion of the delivery of health and welfare programs of the PNRC in the community, promotion of voluntary blood donation, participation and promotion of fund generation activities, and the continuous recruitment of volunteers for Red Cross Membership program.
During a disaster, Red Cross 143 takes care of immediate reporting of any occurrence of a disaster in the area of coverage, preparation and collection of data as required by the Disaster Response Team, assistance of chapter representatives in identifying beneficiaries for relief assistance, assistance of technical staff or specialized volunteers for health and welfare activities, and donation of blood and motivation of other identified blood donors in the community.
After a disaster, Red Cross 143 performs functions such as participation in the assessment for rehabilitation activities, assistance of PNRC staff and volunteers in the delivery of rehabilitation programs and capacity-building activities, participation as a member of multi-disciplinary and or inter-agency groups engaged in post disaster assessment and other activities, and the initiation and convening together with the Chapter Administrator of a barangay inter-agency group to assess and prepare necessary follow up actions.
With a province and a region that can often be visited by disasters and calamities, Red Cross 143 is one very relevant project, Ms. Pagasartonga said. (PIA
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