Words by Jan Alain Villegas
Photos by Angela Karina Gomez, Jan Alain Villegas
On April 4, the UP Padayon Public Service Office and the Philippine Red Cross held a one-day blood donation drive at UP Diliman Campus.
With the theme, Alay Dugo, Alay Lingkod, this collaborative public service initiative sought to engage the UP community in augmenting the demand for blood supplies in local blood banks and hospitals.
This initiative was supported by the Office of the Vice President for Public Affairs and the UP Campus Maintenance Office
As early as 8:00 am, members of the UP community flock to Fonacier Hall Lobby to register for the blood donation drive.
Possible donors undergo physical assessment and initial blood sampling screening to assess if they qualify to donate.
Afterward, possible donors are checked for their blood pressure to ensure they meet the final requirements for donor eligibility.
Qualified donors proceed to the blood extraction area where Red Cross volunteers draw one (1) bag or 450 cc of blood from each donor.
On average, the extraction procedure takes at least 5 to 10 minutes.
Once the extraction is completed, donors are instructed to lie down and rest for another 5-10 minutes.
After resting, they are given snacks and drinks in the refreshment area.
By the end of the activity, more than seventy (70) people—both from online and walk-in registrations—had signed up for the blood donation activity.
Of the 73 prospective donors, only fifty-nine (59) people qualified and were able to proceed with the blood extraction. These numbers still went beyond the initial target of 30-50 participants!
Staff from the UP Padayon Public Service Office and volunteers from the Philippine Red Cross pose for a photo outside Fonacier Hall after the event.
The successful culmination of the first public service collaborative activity between the two institutions signifies the possibility of more collaborations in the future.
