STA. CRUZ, Laguna (PIA) – As part of the celebration of the 124th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Region IV held a bloodletting activity on September 12 at the Cultural Center of Laguna with the aim of fostering a spirit of volunteerism among public servants in the CALABARZON region.
By bringing together national and local government employees and private sector volunteers to donate blood, CSC said that the spirit of helping others in need continue to be one of the main traits of a civil servant.
“If you see the theme of our activity which is ‘Dugtong Buhay, Handong ng Lingkod Bayan’, since we are all government employees, civil servants, to those who donate blood, you are the ones who makes difference in the lives of those in need,” CSC IV Regional Director Maria Leticia Reyna said.
The event saw a large turnout from various government agencies, including the Philippine National Police (PNP) Police Regional Office (PRO) IV-A, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) IV-A, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) IV-A, and local government units from the region.
Participants underwent health screenings before their donations, ensuring that all contributions met the required safety standards.
The donated blood were sent to the Philippine Red Cross and to other regional hospitals that are consistently in need of sufficient blood supply, particularly during medical emergencies and in the face of the ongoing health challenges posed by outbreaks and epidemics.
For Philippine Red Cross Laguna Chapter Administrator Frank Gray Sorromero, the bloodletting activity is held at a consequential time as several areas in the region logs higher cases of dengue.
“We give thanks because the civil servants who are our donors today are our heroes, modern heroes. Today’s activity is a great initiative by the Civil Service as they empowered our civil servants in a different way, this time in saving lives,” Sorromero said.
Director Reyna expressed her appreciation to the ‘selfless acts’ of civil servants and committed to continue to implement life-changing projects for the benefit of the public.
The bloodletting activity forms part of the series of month-long activities lined up by CSC IV-A to commemorate the Civil Service Anniversary, which includes tree growing, community outreach, and awarding for outstanding public servants.
During the whole month, civil servants were reminded to continue to embody and espouse the positive traits of serving the people by loving God, the people, the nature, and the country. (AM,CH/PIA-4A)