Manila: The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) on Monday said it has provided comprehensive relief and medical assistance to 3,503 individuals affected by the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat) in Quezon City over the weekend.
According to Philippines News Agency, the PRC noted its local chapter has deployed teams to deliver hot meals, medical care, health education, and psychosocial support across multiple evacuation centers and communities in Quezon City. A total of 1,262 evacuees received hot meals, including 627 individuals at East Fairview Elementary School in Barangay East Fairview and 635 individuals at the Apolonio Samson Covered Court in Barangay Apolonio Samson.
To mitigate the risk of leptospirosis following the floods, a medical team and volunteers conducted house-to-house distribution of Doxycycline prophylaxis, reaching 950 residents. A total of 550 individuals were given preventive medication in Barangay Gulod, while 400 received doses in Barangay San Agustin. An additional 1,200 individuals received preventive health information through the chapter's "lepto voice over" health dissemination drive.
Medical personnel also established a first aid station at East Fairview Elementary School, catering to 66 patients. The station provided blood pressure consultations for 50 individuals (34 females and 16 males) and wound cleaning for 16 patients (10 males and 6 females). To assist displaced youth, five PRC volunteers established Child-Friendly Spaces at evacuation sites. The interactive sessions featured handwashing demonstrations, storytelling, and educational games, engaging 45 children (26 females and 19 males).
Meanwhile, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Acting Regional Director, Brig. Gen. Christopher Abrahano, said their personnel who were monitoring the areas of concern in Metro Manila were given medical attention, while the Philippine National Police-Health Service (PNP-HS) distributed medicines to those on duty to prevent them from contracting diseases from floodwaters. "Our Health Service has a program, as instructed by our PNP chief, that first and foremost, we take care of the rescuers. Of course, they must be taken care of. So our HS is providing prophylactic meds for our troops," Abrahano told reporters in an interview at NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.
"It is also sad that we have 129 police officers who are affected at various levels. They were also affected by the flood, and that is what we are accounting for now so that we can provide what assistance we can to alleviate their situation," he added. The Metro Manila top cop also said that aside from disaster response, they are also monitoring criminal-minded individuals who were taking advantage of the weather disturbance to commit crimes.
