KIDAPAWAN CITY [July 12/Monday] – Cotabato 2nd district Rep. Nancy Catamco has promised financial support to the newly-organized chapter of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) here during its launching Monday at the North Cotabato Provincial capitol complex.
Catamco said the fund will be used to upgrade the blood bank in the city to cater to the increasing demand for blood owing to the high incidence of dengue fever in the province which has claimed at least seven lives since May this year.
She said the fund will come from her congressional allocation, although she is yet to discuss with the PRC local chapter the exact amount needed.
Four deaths due to dengue were recorded in Banisilan town while the towns of Pigcawayan, Arakan, and Libungan reported one fatality each.
Some 1,000 dengue cases have been monitored in different hospitals in North Cotabato since the onset of the rainy season.
Joseph Contreras, PRC Kidapawan chapter assistant administrator, said that even before their group was formally launched it has already been active in disaster response and other activities despite the lack of funds and other resources.
Also in attendance during the launching of the PRC Kidapawan chapter were Cotabato Gov. Lala Talinio-Mendoza, Vice Governor Greg Ipong, Cotabato 1st District Rep. Jesus Sacdalan, and representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) led by Elizabeth Marcelle Maria Verluyten, and Bai Fatima Sinsuat, chair of the PRC Cotabato chapter.
The officials have pledged to support the newly organized PRC chapter.
Mendoza led the signing of the pledge of commitment as the highlight of the launch.
Contreras said that with the support coming in, the chapter can now expand its services to other areas near Kidapawan City to make it a truly humanitarian organization committed to providing quality life-saving services. (Malu Cadelina Manar/MindaNews)