Now that the rainy season is starting to pose great challenges in our country, Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman Richard J. Gordon met with PRC executives last Friday (July 16) to insist on further improving their rescue capacity. Again, he had reminded them the sole reason of their organization’s existence—which is none other than to alleviate human suffering and uplift human dignity within this country. Straightforwardly, he laid down his plan of action with regard to his expected outcome that is primarily directed towards the objective of their organization’s banner—“Always first. Always ready. Always there.”
To reinforce PRC’s emergency response ability, Gordon reiterated his goal of fully automating the organization’s information-sharing system. And in explanation to the sense of urgency he’s depicting, he teasingly uttered, “For us to deliver top-quality service, we have to surpass the current information-sharing system we have, which is practically reminiscent of the Stone Age.”
In elaboration to this matter, he even added his personal insight, “Our task is to save lives; and information save lives, so I personally think that our development in the aforementioned component of our organization basically makes sense.”
Apart from this plan, Gordon also sets his eyes on the reinforcement of PRC’s pool of volunteers. Insistently, he asked all the Red Cross executives to establish Red Cross 143 teams in at least 2,000 cities and municipalities nationwide, on or before August 5. In this way, according to him, Red Cross can work more effectively and more efficiently than ever.
As he said it himself, “Red Cross cannot perform its tasks without its army of volunteers; so in order to keep it going, we have to continuously recruit people who are willing to be activated in times of emergency.”