13 July 2010
Intending to strengthen the extension service and involve more members of the PLM community, a voluntary blood donation program (VBDP) is being institutionalized through the leadership of the Center for University Extension Services (CUES). In strong partnership with the various internal stakeholders, the program builds up on the previous similar experiences that softlaunched in December 2009. The program also seeks to establish a “well-organized, university-wide coordinated blood donation service that can provide adequate and timely supplies of safe blood for the PLM community and its selected beneficiaries.”
The hardlaunch of the institutional program is slated on 20 July 2010. To reinforce the awareness campaign, the organizers embarked on a set of 7-day countdown pre-launch events starting today. The unveiling of the commemorative tarp highlights the first day at the main entrance. The tarp carries the daily countdown that adds excitement as the hard-launch approaches.
With guests that included university regent and alumni association president Jesus B. Trinos Jr. and vice president for academic affairs Virginia N. Santos, the affair was attended by the whole spectrum of the PLM community, namely, college deans, administrative heads, members of the staff and the professoriate, and the scholars.
CUES director Eleanor J. Galvez underscored that the program is a sustained partnership among the various stakeholders where only through the labor of strong teamwork and support mechanism that the emergent program is showing early indications of success. She called on more volunteers from the ranks of the employees, faculty and students to beef up the current pool of VBDP educators who will help cascade the information about the strengths and rationale of the program. She also acknowledged the student councils whose bright ideas gave final touches to the preparations for the hardlaunch, one of which is the countdown being undertaken starting today. Generous donations from various development partners are underway, with the PLMAAI-Canada having earlier shared its usual support to jumpstart the program.
The pre-launch event came with a touch of spectacle as a mascot was on hand to stress the need for blood donation as a sign of renewed life for our brothers and sisters in critical life-treathening need. A video presentation on blood donation also greeted everyone at the main lobby.
The program implementation was clustered to encourage the direct participation of the assigned colleges and offices, including the thousands of students. Most active in this season are the members of Cluster I, namely, the College of Physical Therapy, College of Accountancy & Economics, College of Human Development, and the College of Tourism, Hotel & Travel Industry Management. Three (3) other clusters will sponsor the upcoming program events on a continuously rotating basis all year-round.
The unveiling of the commemorative tarp shortly followed towards the end of the program.
Galvez revealed that
a 3-day blood screening for potential donors will be held on 15, 16 & 19 July at the PLM Clinic, main lobby. Monday's countdown is expected to be highlighted by a band rendition from a volunteer group to encourage more blood donors to sign-up with the program.
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