ZAMBOANGA CITY: Ten barangay (villages) in this city were recently awarded plaques of recognition by the City Blood Council (CBC) in coordination with the local government unit (LGU) and the Rotary Club of Zamboanga City. CBC program coordinator Maria Christine Lim said before local media that they had secured the list of the Highest 10 blood donor villages from the Zamboanga City Medical Center and the Philippine Red Cross, which had gathered the blood donors through leaders of the city’s 98 urban, rural and semi-urban communities with close to one million population. Pasonanca topped the list for collecting 636 units of blood, followed by Santa Maria with 532 units. Rounding up the Top 10 were Baliwasan, 496 units; Tetuan, 439 units; Guiwan, 232 units; Ayala, 219 units; Divisoria, 200 units; TalonTalon, 186 units; Cabatangan, 172 units; and Labuan, 162 units. City Ordinance 336 aimed to institutionalize the provisions of the National Blood Services Act of 199, which sought to promote voluntary blood donation, to provide adequate supply of safe blood and to fully implement Department of the Interior and Local Government Circular 966 mandating the integration of the voluntary blood donation services and program into the local financial work plan and budget as an added function of the LGU’s health board.
