Rosa Rosal's appeal

If there really are vampires who lust for blood, then Rosa Rosal classifies as one. However, she is the only vampire who is well-loved and respected by the public. And, yes, the only one you can trust  as confirmed by a poll conducted by no less than Reader’s Digest.

With the dengue outbreak, Rosa’s thirst for blood had become even more unquenchable.

Blood, blood and more blood. Never had blood been this in demand.

Rosa no longer bothers to make a count of how much blood Red Cross was already dispensed in the past several weeks. She only makes sure there is supply and does this by going full blast with her bloodletting programs.

Although she had a bad slip last April  an accident that required her to stay in the hospital, she feels recharged whenever she sniffs blood.

The good news, she tells me, is that people are no longer hesitant to donate blood  unlike in the past  and that there obviously are more concerned Filipinos today willing to give a part of themselves and would want to be of help to their countrymen.

I can imagine how it must have been so difficult for Red Cross to get blood donations years ago.

When I was in college and was required to undergo citizens’ military training, I remember that we were willing to do anything to escape from those drills.

I can’t believe how I survived those four semesters of ROTC. We attended classes every morning from Monday to Saturday. And on Sunday, while the colegialas were catching up on sleep or studying for the succeeding week’s lesson (no wonder they had better grades), the male students had to be in the campus at 7 a.m. for ROTC. We were dismissed at 12 noon  after frying under the sun for hours or getting drenched to our underclothing if it rained in the morning. We were always at the mercy of the weather.

We did everything to get out of formation  like running errands for our commandant. I swear  anything. One time, I scaled the fence of Fort Bonifacio because I got so tired attending several hours of bivouac.

Then there was this Sunday when we saw ambulances bearing the Red Cross logo. It was a bloodletting program and I knew Rosa was there and she asked for volunteers among the hundreds of cadets in formation that morning.

Here was the deal: Those willing to donate blood would be made to spend the rest of that ROTC session in those makeshift beds. And there was also the incentive of being handed a piece of balut (duck’s egg) after you’ve donated blood (obviously that is supposed to restore your energy).

If you are a student and merely on allowance, you will do anything for a balut treat. But more importantly, you are allowed to lie down on your back and take it easy that Sunday morning and heaven knew how much our young bodies ached for rest after attending school for six days.

But no matter how inviting the offer was, there were not too many takers. There was this fear of having your blood siphoned off from your body. Basically, it was unconcern  we didn’t care for fellow Filipinos yet. That only showed how unenlightened the population of this country was back then.

Thanks to the perseverance of Rosa, however, the people of this nation finally know how give and have genuine empathy for others in need. If ever Filipinos of today are ready to donate blood to Red Cross, that didn’t happen overnight. It was a long and hard struggle for Rosa. And now this country is reaping the fruits of her labor.

Although the news programs report only those who die from dengue, I don’t think anyone is keeping tab of those who make it  and there are more who survive, thanks to Red Cross’ blood supply. I personally know of friends who made it and it was blood transfusion that made it possible for them to recover.

I dread to think what had become of our population if Rosa was not that persistent in her efforts to keep the Red Cross blood bank going. (Its facilities are even among the most modern in this part of the world  thanks again to Rosa.)

But despite the fact that there are more blood donors today Rosa pleads for more because aside from dengue, hospitals are forever in need of blood  for emergencies like those who figure in vehicular accidents, surgeries and other cases that require blood transfusion.

Forgive her for being greedy (but only when it comes to blood), but Rosa wants more. A bloody lot more.

So keep giving. Just think  the blood you will give can save another life. Shouldn’t that be enough incentive?