LCP Jo Santiago
As the Covid 19 Pandemic continues to devastate our country with the number of infected individuals still at 5000+ every single day, and the total number of active cases now over 50 thousand, blood donation drives are faced with dwindling numbers of voluntary blood donors. As social distancing remains in place as part of the health and safety protocols, potential blood donors have become socially disengaged due to fear of contracting the dreaded virus.
Rotary Club of Chinatown Circle’s first project for the Life-Changing Year is a “call to arms” to help address the national blood shortage. Dubbed as “Dugong Matulungin Dugong Makatao”, the bloodletting held last July 4 is a celebration of the heroic acts of blood donors. The Club’s flagship project is a decade-old partnership of RC Chinatown Circle and Dugong Alay Dugtong Buhay Inc., (DADB) in a mission to provide safe, clean and free blood.
RC Chinatown Circle also partnered with Tau Gamma Phi/Sigma in pooling blood donors for the day. Blood donors play a critical role in saving lives and furthering the health of the sick who rely on blood and its components. This is a message that RC Chinatown Circle’s IPP Barry Dumlao, Co-Chair for RID3810 Bloodletting Projects and an Honorary Member of DADB, has successfully shared with other Rotary Clubs of the District during his Transformational Year, and gained an unprecedented partnership of more than 20 Clubs as new Blood Advocates in a single project.
The same message has been cascaded equally with enthusiasm by Life Changing President Jo Santiago, who partnered with 16 other Rotary Clubs of the District in this project – RC Bagumbayan Manila, RC Chinatown Manila, RC Ermita Manila, RC Imus, RC Liwasang Bonifacio, RC Lubang Island, RC Manila Bay, RC Manila Magic, RC Manila Midtown, RC Manila South, RC Manila Supreme 198, RC Manila Tourist Belt, RC Manila Quiapo Central, RC Pandacan Manila, RC Rosario and RC Sampaloc, making it a District-wide project.
A total of 58 units of blood out of the 92 walk-in donors were donated to partner hospital Tondo General Hospital in Manila. The unsuccessful donors were recently vaccinated which made their blood not suitable for donation. The event was attended and co-sponsored by Rotaract Chinatown Circle, DZRH Operation Tulong, Malasakit Movement of MMDA’s Asec. Celine Pialago and Barangay Fortune in the City of Marikina.