PRC, PCUP team up to help urban poor

THE Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) have partnered to provide first aid training, food and nutrition programs, health services and livelihood assistance to urban poor communities.

“We are partnering with institutions and agencies to prepare our communities for crises and disasters. Urban poor communities are more exposed to high risks and hazards than others due to their lack of access to basic services. The partnership between the PRC and the PCUP is one excellent way to be prepared,” PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Gordon said.

PRC Secretary-General Dr. Gwen Pang signed the memorandum of agreement (MoA) with PCUP Chairman and CEO Undersecretary Elpidio Jordan Jr. at the Sequoia Hotel in Quezon City on Monday.

Under the agreement, the PRC and PCUP will jointly train urban poor communities through the following initiatives to establish sustainability and strengthen their resilience during emergencies: Emergency First Aid Training, Basic Psychological First Aid Training, bloodletting activities, livelihood training, and establishment of community gardens.

Pang said that it is important to include the urban poor communities in the solution and development plans, adding that placing safety and health in their hands is one way to empower them.

Providing these families with livelihood skills is not enough, as it is necessary to equip them with financial literacy skills to ensure the sustainability of their livelihoods, according to Pang.

In attendance during the MoA signing were PRC Safety Services Manager Jaylord Abrigado and PRC Welfare Services Acting Manager JLo Morigo; PCUP Executive Assistant Evita Pearl Jamon and PCUP Chief Administrative Officer Atty. Ralph Anthony Cortez.