Sign up, just in case

After reading my column “Unholy week to die,” one of our regular readers, “Lily,” shared a similar story from the past:

“I just wish to relate my friend’s experience during the first days of COVID. He was taken to the hospital because of suspected COVID, but happily, it turned out it was not.

“He was meant to be discharged on the third or fourth day but the hospital wouldn’t allow him to be discharged because he was asked to pay in cash his P300,000 hospital bill.

“There was no way he could get the cash because everything was on a lockdown and obviously, not many have this amount of cash in their house. He was told if he had a car to use it as a collateral for a loan. A check or promissory note was not good enough.

“Because it took a bit of time to get hold of the cash, i.e., borrowing from relatives who had the cash in their house with that amount, he was detained an extra day to come up with CASH. An extra day of course cost him a few more thousands.

“My friend is well off, can easily afford to pay the bill, but everything was closed. His illness was not COVID, nothing serious, but it cost him P100,000 a day.”

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Philippine Red Cross chairman Richard “Dick” Gordon also called me to express his condolences and to express his agreement to the solutions I shared.

He also shared an ongoing program of the Philippine Red Cross that starts out as a membership program with benefits. Tito Dick enthusiastically explained that the membership was very affordable in comparison to the benefits.

First, you get an ID card that informs first responders in an accident that you are a PRC member entitled to free use of a PRC ambulance and one liter of bag of blood. If you’ve ever been in an accident or had a relative undergoing surgery, you know that every liter counts. When it comes to blood, “they’ve got it all for you.”

The cost of ambulances on a need-basis now ranges from P5,000 to P15,000 for ordinary while the upscale medical transports can cost you a month’s rent! Of course, having friends at the Philippine Red Cross has more lifesaving privileges than any exclusive golf or country club or fraternity in the Philippines.

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Dear Mr. Beltran:

For 78 years, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has been a lifeline for countless Filipinos – rushing to disaster zones for rescue, relief and recovery; delivering life-saving blood and providing urgent ambulance services, among others. Our ability to alleviate human suffering is significantly strengthened by the support of generous partners and donors like you. The PRC does not receive any budget allocation or subsidy from the government or similar organizations.

To further enhance and sustain these life-saving humanitarian services, we are proud to introduce the PRC Safe Card – a membership card that signifies an individual’s active commitment to our mission. For an annual fee of P1,200.00 (inclusive of an ID card), members directly contribute to the Philippine Red Cross’ critical operations in disaster response, emergency medical services and blood supply distribution.

Membership proceeds also enable us to procure vital emergency equipment, train our dedicated staff and over two million volunteers, strengthen local chapters and expand our reach to the most vulnerable communities – ensuring we are fully prepared for catastrophic disasters such as a magnitude-7.2 earthquake, like the one recently experienced in Myanmar. With your support, we aim to avoid being caught unprepared when every second counts.

In the event of an accident, the cardholder may present their PRC Safe Card, which states: “I am a member of the Philippine Red Cross. Please call the hotline 143 to dispatch a Red Cross ambulance to bring me to the nearest hospital in case of an emergency. I am covered by accident insurance, which includes 24-hour ambulance service and blood assistance.” A detailed description of the membership benefits is enclosed for your reference.

Please note that under Republic Act 10072, Section 6, “any contribution to the Philippine Red Cross Annual Fund Campaign entitles the donor to one-year membership, which is fully deductible for taxation purposes.”

We would be honored if you could help us raise greater awareness of this meaningful initiative. We believe the PRC Safe Card program aligns seamlessly with the social responsibility of the press – by promoting the program and sponsoring memberships for employees, partners, clients, students and the communities you support. This program not only strengthens public safety, but also helps grow the Red Cross Youth – empowering more young Filipinos to take part in humanitarian efforts.

Please be informed that major corporations have already agreed to this proposition. We would be more than glad to add you to the rolls of the Safe Card Membership Brigade. Please contact the undersigned at [email protected] or 0917-8997898.

Your continued support of the Philippine Red Cross is deeply appreciated.

PRC Safe Card membership benefits:

? Accidental death, disablement and dismemberment - P300,000.00

? Unprovoked murder and assault - P300,000.00

? Accidental medical reimbursement - P10,000.00

? Burial assistance (as a result of accident) - P5,000.00

? Hospital daily allowance (Maximum of 60 days) - P200.00/day [Insurance coverage by Philippine Prudential Guarantee and Assurance Inc.]

? Free one-time ambulance service

? Free one unit of blood [To be provided by Philippine Red Cross’ fleet of 178 ambulance units and 108 blood facilities. Please note that the benefits are non-transferrable.]

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E-mail: [email protected]