Philippine Red Cross’ humanitarian run, the Million Volunteer Run (MVR) 4, is ready to set the record for humanity.
#REDSetGo: Get ready to run for humanity, set the number of runners in the Guinness book of world record, go for the fourth time and let us all save lives!
Join the MVR 4 and experience a nationwide run in serving humanity and highlighting the spirit of volunteerism, on October 21, 2017 at the Quirino Grandstand, Manila.
There are two registration rates for the run: Php 500 for 3K/5K, inclusive of an MVR singlet, PRC bronze membership, race bib, and runner’s card; and Php 350 for 3K/5K, inclusive of an MVR singlet, race bib, and runner’s card.
For Metro Manila runners, the assembly time for the main run site will be at 4 a.m. to be followed by a warm-up exercise until the race officially begins on gun start at 5 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. for 5K and 3K runners, respectively.
The MVR4 will help raise funds for the organization’s humanitarian causes, including the strengthening of PRC’s emergency and disaster response through the purchase of additional fleet of rescue vehicles and equipment.
Rapid and efficient response
The Philippines is a disaster-prone archipelago that is visited by an average of 22 to
26 typhoons a year; it is also prone to earthquakes, fires, landslides, volcanic eruptions, and man-made disasters like armed conflicts.
Such experiences induced the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to think of a way forward to ensure that life-saving services reach the right people in the fastest and efficient responses.
“PRC is a humanitarian organization, and we serve as an auxiliary to the government in providing assistance to the most vulnerable,” said PRC Chairman Richard Gordon. “With our trained 143 volunteers, we are fine-tuned in our response strategies to be able to deliver well.”
To date, PRC has 136 ambulances, 19 fire trucks, 71 rescue boats, 17 water tankers, rescue vehicles, 6×6 trucks, humvees, payloaders, motorcycles, water bladder and water tanker units in its emergency fleet, as well as equipment necessary for surviving the first few days of the aftermath of the disaster, such as generators, satellite phones, water bladders, and tents that can be used as temporary shelters.
“All our resources are already prepositioned—logistics like ambulances and rescue trucks, and volunteers such as doctors and trained first aiders—in case of a mass casualty incident like the Big One and other emergencies happen anytime. ” added by Gordon.
Since hospitals would surely be packed after the disasters, the PRC has emergency field hospitals (EFH) that can cater to those who could no longer be accommodated in hospitals.
PRC continuously organizes mass blood donation activities to provide blood supply at all times. To date, PRC provided more than 270,000 units of blood and served more than 173,000 patients.
PRC’s 89 blood service facilities, 27 blood centers, 10 apheresis centers, and 62 blood collecting units and blood stations nationwide can accommodate blood services such as blood collection, retention and care, testing, processing and blood issuance.
From Disaster to Deliverance
PRC considers its shelter program for typhoon Yolanda affected people as one of its biggest accomplishments by far in terms of disaster response and community resilience building, counting four years after it launched the biggest disaster operations in the humanitarian organization’s history.
To date, some 80,000 families now live in safer homes and almost 63,000 households were provided with household livelihood assistance through cash grants.
“Aside from shelter, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has also supported our beneficiary families with livelihood assistance, built or rehabilitated classrooms and other significant community infrastructures like health and water and sanitation facilities,” Gordon said.
M/V PRC Amazing Grace
The necessity of acquiring the humanitarian ship was further driven home by the PRC’s experience when typhoon Yolanda battered Eastern Visayas, causing the closure of airports and seaports which made it difficult for the Red Cross to bring relief to the affected areas.
M/V PRC Amazing Grace was officially commissioned last May, capable of evacuating thousands of people from a particular barangay to a safer place when needed.
This will be used as emergency units’ rapid transport and landing vessel, relief supply transport ship, medical facility deployment ship, sea rescue vessel, mass evacuation vessel, humanitarian logistics ship, mobile operations command post, and humanitarian education and training ship.
The humanitarian ship will be supported by PRC’s 10 warehouses nationwide with relief goods and other supplies already prepositioned.
On Marawi Operations
Five months since the conflict in Marawi City, the PRC, through the effort of its staff and volunteers has incessantly stepped up its humanitarian efforts for the affected people including those whose family members are still missing.
Addressing immediate basic needs for survival, PRC has provided hot meals to 917 individuals and distributed 7,337,100 liters of clean water to more than 214,000 individuals. Other humanitarian aid such as psychosocial support to individuals and tracing for those who have been traumatized and whose loved ones are still missing, 27 welfare desks were set up in Lanao Del Norte and Iligan City. Some 27,000 individuals were provided with psychosocial support, and almost 500 individuals received restoring family links services.
PRC sets up seven basic health care unit (BHCU) tents in Lanao del Norte. The BHCU served more than 7,000 individuals who experienced cough, rashes, and upper respiratory tract infection.
More evacuees were provided with basic hygienic needs, such as portalets and shower facilities. Twenty portalets were installed in the evacuation centers serving more than 45,000 individuals, while more than 91,000 evacuees were served with shower facilities.
The humanitarian run
To date, there will be more than 50 PRC chapters that will participate in the simultaneous nationwide run including: Northern and Central Luzon (Abra, Baguio, Bataan, Bulacan, Ilocos Norte, Olongapo City, Pampanga-Angeles, Santiago CIty, Tarlac); Southern Luzon (Cavite, Laguna, Marinduque, Romblon); Bicol Region (Albay-Legazpi, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate); Visayas (Boracay, Cebu, Eastern Samar, Guimaras, Hilongos, Cordova, Leyte, Ormoc, Siquijor, Southern Leyte, Western Samar); and Mindanao (Compostela Valley, Cotabato City, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, General Santos, Gingoog, Ozamis, Sultan Kudarat, Tawi Tawi, Zamboanga)
For those who are interested to run, you may register directly to the PRC National Headquarters, Mandaluyong City; PRC Metro Manila chapters (Caloocan City, Las Piñas City, Manila, Malabon City, Marikina City, Pasay City, Quezon City, Rizal, and Valenzuela); you may go directly to www.mvr.redcross.org.ph; and Chris Sports Outlets at SM Manila, SM Sucat, SM North EDSA Annex, and Market Market Taguig (until October 19, 2017, 7 p.m).
Through the purchase of additional fleet and equipment, PRC as the foremost humanitarian organization in the country will continue providing life-saving quality of services that protect the life and dignity of the most vulnerable—a never-ending humanitarian help and contribution to the country.
This humanitarian run will help PRC gain additional family of fleet and responses in serving humanity. Join now and help us save more lives!
