Tiangco leads bloodletting in Navotas

Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco led the annual bloodletting at the town hall yesterday in celebration of the Blood Donors Month.

Tiangco handed down awards to institutions and individuals in recognition of their support, commitment and active involvement in the promotion of voluntary blood donation.

The celebration’s theme was "Salamat sa Handog mong Dugo at Buhay" and is in line with the vision of Republic Act 7119 known as the National Voluntary Blood Services Act of 1994.

Dr. Hector David, Navotas Health Center, expressed gratitude to Tiangco for his strong support of the annual mass blood donation from among healthy municipal officials and employees. Ten municipal employees were cited as "Blood Galloners of the Month" and were identified as Dr. Amelita Rovidel, Elino Dancel, Marcelo Sison, Veronica Estancia, Domingo Gastillo, Ferdinand Pascual, Sixto Ibanez, Yolanda Gimpaya, Danilo Gimpaya and Ismael Dar Santos. Also given distinction for support of the program was Barangay Bangkulasi chairman Popoy San Juan.

Related to this, Tiangco was also the first mayor of Navotas who received the Sandugo Outstanding Local Government Executive Awardees for the Year 2002.

"Bloodletting is a show of man’s willingness to sacrifice for others and an act of true public service for the less-privileged in the community," Tiangco said.

Tiangco said the bloodletting has the supervision and is coordinated with the local office of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC). He said the donated blood will be distributed to public hospitals mostly attending to patients coming from Navotas, among others, the Tondo General Hospital in Manila.

Navotas, with about 300,000 residents, does not have yet a hospital of its own. Tiangco said plans are afoot for the construction of a well-equipped hospital Navotas residents can call their own.

Meanwhile, he said, the need for medical attention by his town is still adequately served by the public hospitals nearby and has been made easier by his making available, particularly to the less fortunate, the Philhealth cards.