Iloilo city: The city government here, in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), is encouraging qualified donors to join this weekend's blood-letting activity, and turn Feb. 14 into a day of 'life-saving compassion.' The event, themed 'Dugong Ilonggo: Give Blood on Valentine's Day,' will take place on the 2nd floor Lounge Area of Robinsons Mall Iloilo from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

According to Philippines News Agency, Councilor Alan Zaldivar, chair of the City Council's Committee on Health, Sanitation and Hospital Services, stated that the activity is the local government's response to the dwindling inventory of supplies at the PRC and the Western Visayas Medical Center. He highlighted the increasing demand for blood for regular surgery procedures and dialysis, with some procedures requiring up to six bags per patient.

"In emergency cases, we arranged with the Red Cross to look for blood in other blood banks to serve and address the concern," Zaldivar mentioned in an interview on Thursday. He emphasized the urgent need for more Type O blood donors, which has become rare, unlike before when Type AB was considered scarce. The Type O+ and Type O- variants are particularly difficult to find, necessitating the procurement of supplies from Aklan and transporting them from Kalibo to Iloilo City.

The city government has been proactive in its blood donation advocacy, having conducted 33 major activities since 2019. In their efforts to bolster participation, Zaldivar noted collaborations with the University of Iloilo - PHINMA and sent invitations to uniformed personnel and barangays to be part of the initiative. "Hopefully, we can revisit the Blood Code of Iloilo City to look into the participation of barangays when it comes to blood-letting activities," he added.

The goal is to have at least 200 blood donors on Valentine's Day. Interested donors are advised to get at least six to eight hours of sleep, refrain from alcohol and certain medications, and meet health criteria such as having no tattoos or cough.