With more than P20 million in deficit for the past several years, the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) has been operating on a hand-to-mouth existence, PNRC Chairman Richard J. Gordon said yesterday.

The PNRC needs about R300 million to enable it to carry out its various humanitarian services on disaster preparedness and relief, blood programs, first aid and other safety services, health, and welfare aid to the most vulnerable groups, especially in farflung and depressed areas.

As a voluntary humanitarian organization, the PNRC depends solely on corporate and public donations under Proclamation No. 12. All donations to the PNRC are tax-exempt.

Gordon cited the PNRC Millennium Partners which are regularly giving P1 million to the Red Cross as part of their commitment to give R5 million to the organization for five years beginning 2001.

The PNRC Millennium Partners are Del Monte Philippines, Metrobank Foundation, National Bookstore, Philippine Airlines, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Corp. (PLDT), Fort Bonifacio Development  Foundation, Smart Communications, Shell Pilipinas Exploration B.V., Shell Philippines Petroleum Corp., SM Foundation, Unilever Philippines, Philip Morris Philippines, and a special friend of the Red Cross who wants to remain anonymous.

“The PNRC needs more,” said Gordon, adding, “With the emerging disasters and other crises, the PNRC needs to continue getting more funds to meet the urgent needs of more than 12 million people which the PNRC serves yearly.”

Gordon appealed for support for the PNRC from good samaritans and other business corporations and generous individuals to give their share to humanity.

“PNRC is people helping people.  We can only give as much as we get,” said Gordon.

Despite its limited resources, the PNRC contiues to save lives and alleviate sufferings of families affected by disasters and other social- and health-related catastrophes.

In Southern Leyte, the PNRC is still in full swing in its rehabilitation program for more than 1,000 families who were displaced by landslides that hit the province last December.

With the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, in particular, the societies of the Spanish Red Cross, Danish, Belgian, and the Swedish Red Cross, the PNRC provides permanent shelter from displaced families in the worst hit towns of San Francisco and Liban.

The PNRC also continues to provide first aid services to travelers, especially this summer season.

Gordon said the PNRC will launch its Membership and Fund Drive on April 15 at 3 p.m. at Clamshell 2 in Intramuros, Manila.

Some 300 volunteer fund campaign leaders representing PNRC chapters across the country are expected to come and turn over their donations during the program.

“April 15 is the  57th  anniversary of the PNRC. We are looking forward to this occassion as we are expecting to take this opportunity to give their share to the PNRC so that we can continue to serve people in distress,” Gordon said.