The provincial government of Lanao Del Sur on Thursday gave a plaque of recognition to Senator Richard J. Gordon, chairman and CEO of the Philippine Red Cross, for the premier humanitarian organization’s assistance to the families affected by the Marawi crisis.
The provincial government cited Gordon and the PRC for being among the first to provide humanitarian assistance when the armed conflict broke out.
Gordon, for his part, saluted the volunteers for their untiring dedication to the cause of the Philippine Red Cross and dedicated the award to them.
“This is for all our volunteers who worked tirelessly day and night to uplift dignity and alleviate human suffering of our Muslim brothers and sisters. Such heroic acts prove that we are not separated by religion. We are one Filipino people, one Philippines,” he said during the provincial-wide recognition ceremony held at the Marawi City Capitol.
When the conflict broke out last May 23, 2017, Gordon mobilized the staff and volunteers from the nearby PRC Chapters and immediately deployed teams, complete with emergency relief goods such as water and food, among others.
The PRC together with its chapters in Iligan, Cagayan de Oro and Marawi are among the first responders to support those affected by the crisis in Marawi. In Marawi chapter alone, PRC was able to successfully mobilize 200 volunteers during the relief and emergency response.
Also present during the recognition ceremony were International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Head of Country Office Chris Staines, IFRC Operations and Programmes Manager Patrick Elliot, Qatar Red Crescent Society Head of Delegation Abdel Mumim, and International Committee of the Red Cross Deputy Head of Delegation Martin Thalman.
After the awarding ceremony, the Red Cross delegation led by Gordon visited the ground zero in Marawi, which was the center of the armed conflict. The area is still off limits as clearing operations have yet to take place.
Gordon also led the distribution of hygiene kits and hot meals to 300 families at the Saguiaran Municipal Grounds.
The delegation also visited the evacuees seeking medical assistance, at the Balo-I Basic Health Care Unit which was set up by the Philippine Red Cross in Balo-I, Lanao del Sur.
The PRC together with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Red Cross Movement Partners has been on the ground providing humanitarian assistance to the displaced families since the armed conflict started.
So far, the PRC has provided hot meals to 6,192 individuals and distributed 12,959,300 million liters of water to more than 214,504 people affected by the crisis.
Some 37,958 people also received psychosocial support, while more than 8,128 patients benefitted from PRC’s Basic Health Care Unit, including 2,141 who needed blood pressure monitoring.
To ensure the hygiene and sanitation of displaced families, PRC conducted hygiene promotion to 10,234 people, stationed 20 portable toilets for some 45,580 individuals, and set up shower facilities that benefitted almost 91,150 evacuees.
PRC also set up 27 welfare desks in Lanao del Norte and Iligan City, and helped 860 individuals to locate their missing families.