The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VIII, through its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), inked a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Health- Eastern Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-EVCHD) to support the National Voluntary Blood Services Program last August 5, 2019, at the DOH Regional Office VIII, Government Center, Candahug, Palo, Leyte.

The said blood program is anchored on the Republic Act No. 7719, also known as the National Blood Services Act of 1994, which promotes voluntary blood donation to provide sufficient supply of safe blood, regulate blood banks, and to inculcate public awareness on the importance of blood donation as a humanitarian act which actually helps in saving lives.

DSWD Regional Director Marie Angela Gopalan imparted that this convergence initiative is very timely and meaningful specially now amidst the dengue epidemic wherein many patients are in need of blood transfusion.

According to the information released by DOH last August 6, 2019, Region VIII Eastern Visayas has exceeded the epidemic threshold of dengue for the past three consecutive weeks with 7,199 recorded cases. On the other hand, the blood collected from voluntary donors regionwide has not yet reached 1% of the total population as set by DOH pursuant to the mandate of the World Health Organization.

Blood, indeed, is the most precious gift one can give to another for it is a gift of life. The blood regulates body systems, supplies oxygen and nutrients to the organs, and transports signals and even hormones.

It is important in emergency settings like natural disasters or man-made crisis such as armed conflicts or accidents wherein the demand for its supply goes up.

Hence, a decision to voluntarily donate blood can save a life of one person or even more if the blood is separated into its components — red cells, platelets and plasma — which can be used individually for patients with specific conditions.

The advocacy on the importance and benefits of voluntary blood donation shall be intensified in the regular conduct of 4Ps Family Development Sessions (FDS).

Furthermore, the said memorandum of agreement signed by DSWD Regional Director Gopalan and DOH Regional Director Minerva Molon, in the presence of EVRMC Chief Salvador Evardone, 4Ps Regional Program Coordinator Paula Unay, and other representatives of both agencies, stipulated the commitments of both agencies to incorporate the activities of the National Voluntary Blood Services Program of DOH into the programs, projects and services of DSWD that involve 4Ps beneficiaries and to actively work together in fostering a culture of voluntary blood donation.

RPC Unay shared that even before the abovementioned agreement was formalized, some 4Ps members, including those from the municipality of Mayorga, Leyte, were already voluntarily donating their blood in their respective areas, such that it is fair and just to perceive them as active citizens who contribute to the society, and are not just mere dependents of the program.

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, commonly known as 4Ps, is one of the government’s poverty reduction programs spearheaded by DSWD, which invests on human capital by utilizing the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) strategy providing conditional cash grants to identified poor households to help improve their health, nutrition, and education, and sharing with them various knowledge and skills through the conduct of FDS. #DSWDKalingaAtPagmamahal #DSWDMayMalasakit