By Jel Santos Over 1 million liters of water was supplied by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to hospitals affected by the water crisis in the metropolis. Philippine Red Cross and Manila Water supply water to Rizal Medical Center in Pasig City Wednesday, March 13, 2019, as the hospital experiences low supply of water as observed around Metro Manila. (KEVIN TRISTAN ESPIRITU / MANILA BULLETIN) In a span of five days, PRC data showed that a total of 1, 033, 000 liters of water benefitted around 43, 000 people at the Rizal Medical Center, Quirino Memorial Medical Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, East Avenue Medical Center, Mandaluyong City Medical Center, and the National Center for Mental Health. The humanitarian body also said that it has started providing water to residents of Barangay Old Balara and Barangay Culiat in Quezon City; Barangay Highway Hills in Mandaluyong; and Barangay Tumana and Barangay Nangka in Marikina. Richard Gordon, PRC chairman, said they earlier prioritized hospitals to ensure that medical services will not be interrupted. “We received requests from different hospitals and we delivered immediately. The condition in crisis-affected hospitals has now improved, but we are still on standby as this may extend until June. We are now delivering water supply to barangays to prevent health concerns,” he said. Since March 11, PRC said eight water tankers were dispatched to deliver water in priority areas. Gordon, on the other hand, has raised concern over the improper storage of water, warning the public that the use of uncovered containers poses threats of acquiring diseases, such as diarrhea. “Our water is safe for drinking. But when people use open containers, this can easily be contaminated. The use of proper storage, such as jerry cans with faucets, mitigates the risk of getting sick,” the PRC chairman said. PRC is appealing to well-meaning people for financial aid, which will support PRC’s response to Metro Manila’s water crisis. Donations can be made at: Banco De Oro Account name: Philippine Red Cross Peso account: 00-4530190938 Dollar account: 10-453-0039482 Swift code: BNORPHMM Metrobank Account name: Philippine Red Cross Peso account: 151-7-15152434-2 Dollar account: 151-2-15100218-2 Swift code: MBTCPHMM Landbank of the Philippines Account name: Philippine Red Cross Account number: 0561-095817 For more information, people may contact Rizza Genil at (02) 790-2410 or Shervi Corpuz at (02) 790-2413 or +639178348378.