INGHINYERO

Just this morning, July, 26, our group was lucky to have interviewed someone from our assigned volunteer organization, the Philippine National Red Cross. I and my groupmates planned to visit the Quezon City Chapter of Red Cross this coming Saturday; but unfortunately, it was told to us that the office is closed on Saturdays. We thought that we are doomed. However, during my morning class, I saw an announcement that there will be a blood donation drive by members of PNRC in the AS clove. So, I readily informed my groupmates, and two of them joined me for the unexpected interview. We were able to interview Dr. Beverly Rambayon from the Blood Services of the PNRC Main Office. For PNRC volunteers like her, volunteering is something you do wholeheartedly and willingly without expecting anything in return. Furthermore, in PNRC, volunteering could take years before you could become a member, so it will really test your eagerness to join the organization. What the PNRC does encompasses many areas; so the organization has divisions and these are the following: Volunteer Services, Blood Services, Red Cross Youth, Safety Services, Fund Generation Services, Disaster Management Services, and Community Health Services. In the question where does the organization get its funds, Doctor Rambayon said that Red Cross has committed supporters and donors. One of its supporters is GMA Kapuso Foundation. Red Cross's donors can be classified as one of the following: individivual donors, corporate donors, organizations and institutions, and national society. Shell is one of the many corporations aiding Red Cross. Doctor Rambayon also added that some private schools are supporters of the PNRC. The organization also gets its money from their members through membership funds and insurance cards which is worth 35 pesos. Furthermore, Doctor Rambayon also shared her delight to be a PNRC member.

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Since we were not available that time, our groupmates Karen, Ian and Isaac were the ones who interviewed Doctor Rambayon. Then, we had a small talk in our group and they relayed what happened in the "institutional visit".

It is indeed by chance, we were lucky to have the opportunity to interview PNRC members and Doctor Rambayon.

I am looking forward to doing more of this in the next months as parts of the service learning being promoted by the course.