MCGI Breaks Blood-Donation Record in Half Time

Manila, Philippines — Two days before Blood Donors’ Day this year, Members Church of God International (MCGI) donated 2,601 blood bags to the Philippine National Red Cross, just 52 units short of its 2009 record where the latter awarded the organization for its outstanding contribution.

The World Health Organization and partners anually hold the World Blood Donors’ Day every June 14th. This blood donating campaign is aimed at raising awareness of the need for safe blood and to give thanks to voluntary unpaid blood donors for their gifts of blood.

Fifty-four MCGI chapters nationwide opened its doors for the undertaking with one holding its blood donation drive on June 9; in total, MCGI has given 2,637 units of blood this year. This is the second time that MCGI has held a mass bloodletting event across the country for 2011. Their initial effort on March 13 produced 1,900 units, that is approximately 1,186 liters of blood.

While science and technology struggle to find a substitute for human blood, the need for it is increasing and urgent. In fact, dengue and other blood-related cases that need transfusion of blood have alarmingly increased this year, according to a report published on the Philippine Red Cross website.

As donating blood requires a three-month period in between donations, this year, MCGI goes full-throttle by making its blood drive quarterly.

This public service of MCGI started more than a decade ago, when its presiding ministers Bro. Eli Soriano and Bro. Daniel Razon formed the Blood Donors’ Society: the group that campaigns blood-donation within the Church. Since then, MCGI has proven to be a committed partner of the Philippine Red Cross in providing reliable blood to the masses.

The event is made possible with the help of the Philippine National Red Cross, its volunteers, and the Kamanggagawa Foundation Inc. MCGI’s next nationwide mass blood drive is expected in September.

(Written by: Jay Arellano)