Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista on Monday underscored the need to propagate a culture of safety and preparedness in handling emergencies among the city’s people.
“By 2021, we are hoping that at least 60 to 70 percent of Quezon City’s population is CPR equipped,” Mayor Bautista said. “We should all learn, not just our health personnel.”
Bautista led the launch of the 2nd Nationwide Mass Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training at QC Hall, where barangay officials and personnel from the city’s 142 barangays were taught basic steps in administering CPR.
The mayor reiterated that CPR forms part of the city government’s disaster preparedness program and thus it is imperative all residents are equipped with basic knowledge on how to administer CPR.
Quezon City is set to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Red Cross QC relative to the manning of ambulances that city hall will distribute to the barangays.
According to the mayor, the ambulances will come equipped with basic life support system including defibrillators, and will be manned by Red Cross personnel.
QC Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief Karl Michael Marasigan said the city government continues to provide basic life support training and first aid to barangay personnel, especially those from areas traversed by the West Valley Fault and are prone to flooding.
DRRM has also been providing basic life support training to members of the QC health brigades, whose members include city hall personnel.
Marasigan said plans are underway to include security guards assigned at QC Hall and health workers in the training program.
“We hope to start the program by the end of the first quarter,” Marasigan said.
Health Undersecretary Gerardo Bayugo was also present during the program launch.