SAGUDAY, Quirino, Feb. 20 (PIA) — To ensure adequate supply of safe blood for patients here, the municipal council headed by Vice Mayor Marcelina M. Pagbilao enacted an ordinance mobilizing all sectors of the community to participate in programs and initiatives for voluntary and non-profit collection of blood in the municipality.

Under said ordinance, the Municipal Blood Council (MBC) has been organized to implement the Municipal Voluntary Blood Services program, in cooperation with the Southern Blood Service Zone and other government and non-government organizations.

The MBC is composed of people from the municipality: the municipal chief as chairman; health officer as vice chairman; Sangguniang Bayan on Health, DOH representative, medical technologist, barangay health workers, Philippine Red Cross, and representatives from the business and women sectors as members.

The council is also tasked to establish linkages and partnership with other other government agencies and humanitarian organizations in the conduct of blood -letting activities in the municipality.

An information, education, communication as well as advocacy will also be conducted regularly in schools and barangays to ensure full participation of all sectors to the said program.

The program will be funded by the local government of Saguday through budgetary allocations as recommended by the MBC from various sources such as Municipal Health Office’s regular appropriation, 20 percent development fund and from the private sectors.