IFRC'S ASPAC CONFERENCE TO ENHANCE ORGANIZATION'S HUMANITARIAN RESPONSES - GORDON

Senator Richard J. Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), said the ongoing 10th Asia Pacific Regional Conference of the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) would serve as a venue for exploring new strategies to meet the ever growing demand for humanitarian response and services.

Gordon told some 370 delegates coming from 60 Red Cross and Red Crescent societies that the conference is a great opportunity for exploring new strategies to step up action on humanitarian challenges, such as disasters and armed conflicts, especially in a region that includes some of the most disaster-prone countries in the world.

"The environment in which we operate has an ever-growing demand for humanitarian responses that we, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, must deliver. We have seen and experienced an increasing number of stronger disasters, an alarming number of deaths caused by emergencies, challenging conditions for migrants, including security issues against humanitarian organizations. This gathering of humanitarian leaders is a great opportunity to ensure that we remain prepared and poised to serve humanity. The disasters that hit the Philippines and the region at large are also getting stronger. Our environment can change VERY rapidly and we must quickly generate solutions to the growing humanitarian needs," he said during the opening of the conference.

The PRC chairman noted that in the Philippines, which faces a buffet of disasters that are both natural and man-made, PRC has expanded the humanitarian services it provides and has become the government's partner of choice. From only providing blood, PRC now provides firefighting, rescue and relief operations while also recently opening its first dialysis center to help address the growing number of Filipinos that require dialysis.

"The Philippine Red Cross is a strong society AS our army of volunteers is supported by our logistics assets and state-of-the-art technology. When you have a pool of volunteers who serve as the organization's eyes, ears, and hands in times of disasters and emergencies, you can deliver efficient and timely services to the most vulnerable. Thus, we remain true to our battlecry--to be "Always First. Always Ready. Always There," he said.

Gordon also cited the "long-standing solidarity of the 155-year-old Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement which enables PRC to give voices to the unheard, empower those who are feeling weak, shelter the homeless, and give hope to the most vulnerable" amid the unending challenges.

"Let us continue onwards together under the One Red Cross Movement!" he called on the other national societies.