MANILA – Social media giant Facebook announced Wednesday that its Blood Donations feature is now available in the Philippines.
In partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), people can sign up to get notifications about donating blood and information on nearby DOH and PRC blood service facilities.
Since June last year, both the DOH and PRC have been calling for more Filipinos to donate blood due to a shortage in supply.
With quarantine restrictions in place and increased demand brought by medical concerns requiring blood transfusion, it is critical to boost current blood service facilities reserves.
“The pandemic underscored the importance of blood donations across the Philippines. Through our partnership with Facebook, we hope to reach more potential donors and build a stable and safe supply of blood that can save lives,” Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said.
How the feature works
Starting Wednesday, Facebook users in the Philippines aged 18 to 65, will see the Blood Donations feature on their feeds.
By clicking it, users can sign up to receive notifications about donating blood on Facebook and set reminders.
They will also get to see which nearby blood service facilities need blood donations as well as invite family and friends to take action.
“Often potential donors don’t know where and when to donate, but from research we learned that when donors have information and opportunities to give blood, they step up to help their community. Together with the Department of Health and the Philippine Red Cross, we aim to help boost voluntary blood donations and build sustainable blood supply across the Philippines,” said Clare Amador, Head of Public Policy, Facebook Philippines.
Since the Blood Donations feature was launched in 2017, over 85 million people have signed up to receive notifications from nearby blood service facilities about opportunities to donate.
"To ensure that we have adequate blood supply, at least 1 percent of our country's population should donate. Due to the quarantine restrictions and fear brought by the COVID19 pandemic, volunteer blood donors have been limited. The Philippine Red Cross appeals to those who want to help and save the lives of people in need of blood to sign up for Facebook’s Blood Donation feature. We have blood donation centers nationwide which follow health protocols so that people can safely donate blood. Nothing is more meaningful than being able to save the lives of others by donating your own precious blood,” said Sen. Richard Gordon, PRC chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
The Blood Donations feature is available in 31 countries, including the Philippines. To register as a blood donor on Facebook, log on to http://facebook.com/donateblood
For more details on how to use the Facebook Blood Donations feature effectively, visit https://socialgood.fb.com/health/blood-donations/. (PR)
