Over 3,000 residents of Quezon City have again donated blood in an award-winning bloodletting drive to provide indigent or poor patients with free blood unit assistance.
“Blood-letting is one way in which we can show our love for our country and for countrymen. And I would like to thank everybody who is part of this,” Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
Launched in 2010, the bloodletting drive organized by the Office of the Vice Mayor attracts thousands of donors yearly.
This year, the donors came from the city’s 142 barangays.
Due to the high volume of blood donors, the annual endeavor has reaped multiple recognitions from the Dugong Bayani Awards organized by the Philippine Blood Center under the Department of Health.
In 2017, the initiative was given the highest honor for institutions donating blood—the Jose Rizal Award.
The bloodletting drive was also recognized twice with the Andres Bonifacio Award, the second highest award under Dugong Bayani.
Belmonte said after the election of Sangguniang Kabataan last May, young people have also started to become active in the annual drive.
Meanwhile, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista on Thursday cited the need to encourage organizations and institutions to aspire for excellence in disaster risk reduction and management, and climate change adaptation.
He recently spearheaded the launch of the HB Search for Resilience: Huwaran sa Kahandaan Para sa Ligtas na Bayan or also known as the Search for Tatak Kyusi Excellence in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Climate Change Adaptation toward a sturdy and resilient city.
The search covers 14 categories to be participated in by the Sangguniang Kabataan, early learning centers, private and public elementary and high schools, local government unit hospital, national government hospital, higher educational institution, civil society organization, volunteer organization, people organization, and businesses.