ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan — The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the Department of Education (DepEd) are promoting volunteerism, through blood donation, to pupils and students with the launch of the Dugong Bayani Guro Olympics (DuRolympics) 2018 on Thursday.
In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA), PRC-Alaminos City Western Pangasinan Chapter (ACWPC) administrator Maricon Dawang said they encouraged teachers and DepEd officials to compete in blood donation among themselves to collect blood supply, as well as to encourage their pupils or students to become blood donors someday.
“We have observed, based on our experience, that teachers are afraid to donate blood. But with this project, they are somehow encouraged to donate as they see that teachers from other schools are participating. Also, children will see that their teachers are donating blood, so it would inspire them and they would think that after all, donating blood is not something scary since their teachers are also doing it,” Dawang said.
She disclosed that the schools with the highest number of blood bags donated among the 45 high schools and elementary schools here within a year will be awarded with a set of first aid kits.
“Since this is like an Olympic game, we will award two high schools and two elementary schools with the highest number of blood bags donated. The prize will come from the Rotary Club of Hundred Islands, and the awarding will be in July next year,” Dawang said.
Aside from the competition, the schools will also receive one referral card for every 10 units of blood. The referral card can be used to avail of one unit of blood from PRC-ACWPC free of blood processing fee.
“It will be (at) the discretion of the respective schools to whom they will give the referral card,” she added.
Although the launch of the DuRolympics was held Thursday, Dawang said the bloodletting activity in line with this project began on July 12, resulting in more than 60 units of blood collected.
“The teachers and other members of the academe positively received this project. We actually collected a minimum of 12 bags from small schools and this is also good for the teachers’ health,” she said. (Hilda Austria/PNA)
