The Philippine Red Cross has launched its Enhanced Platinum Membership under its long-running Membership Accident Insurance Benefits (MAAB) Program.
For years now, the PRC through its Catanduanes Chapter, has been offering membership in the humanitarian organization, providing one with the opportunity to be a volunteer and partake in PRC’s humanitarian activities physically and financially. The members get protection through accident insurance coverage.
Anyone between 5 and 85 years old can be a member and volunteer to participate in PRC’s activities as well as get access to all Red Cross services in times of emergencies, sickness, and disasters during the year.
In addition, members who meet unfortunate situations can get reimbursement for accidental death, disablement and dismemberment, hospitalization, and burial services.
The MAAB membership categories are: Classis (5-25 years old) at P60 each; Premiere Bronze (5-65 years old) at P150 each; Premiere Silver (5-65 years old) at P300 each; Premiere Gold (5-65 years old) at P500 each; Premiere Platinum (5-65 years old) at P1,000 each; Senior (66-80 years old) at P300; and Senior Plus (66-80 years old) at P350 each.
The accidental death, disablement, and dismemberment benefit ranges from P12,000 to P300,000 while the daily hospital allowance (for a maximum of 60 days) is from P150 to P200 per day.
This year, the Red Cross added the Enhanced Platinum Membership for just P1,200 annually for those aged 3 t0 85.
In return, the enrolled member can get the following benefits: P300,000 for accidental death, disablement and dismemberment; P300,000 for unprovoked murder and assault; P10,000 accidental medical reimbursement; P5,000 accidental burial assistance; and P200 per day daily hospital allowance for a maximum of 60 days.
Also tacked on to the benefits are one (1) free whole blood bag in case of an accident and one (1) free ambulance service, for a maximum of seven kilometers, also in case of an accident.
Those interested, including local companies who want MAAB coverage for their workers, may contact PRC Catanduanes on its Facebook page, call or text 0951-103-1624, or email catanduanes@redcross.org.ph for details.
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Based on current records, there is only one cold storage facility in the entire Bicol region that is accredited by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR): Jentec Cold Storage, Inc, in Caroyroyan, Pili, Camarines Sur with a capacity of 8 metric tons.
A search of the Internet turns up three privately-run cold storage firms: an ice plant in Iriga City, another ice plant in Naga City and then there is Glacier Liberty in Legazpi City, a medium-sized refrigeration facility with six controlled-temperature rooms and one 1-ton capacity blast freezer.
For years now, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has been promising to build a small cold storage facility and in fact identified a fishing village in Bato town as one of the prospective sites. But the promise remains unrealized.
Just last month, a DA undersecretary disclosed that it would expand farm infrastructure to include cold storages and slaughterhouses under its Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) scale-up program that will run until 2028.
Included in the plan are post-harvest facilities for rice and corn and cold storages for fishery and for the consolidation of vegetables.
Investment in such a facility will address the need to store excess fish catch and agricultural produce during peak seasons and extend their shelf life while maintaining quality in order to address fluctuations in food prices, market demand and seasonal variations in production.
It makes you wonder why the national government has not bothered to set up at least one LGU-operated cold storage in small islands prone to bad weather.
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ON TELLING THE TRUTH. Mr. Marcus was briefing his client, who was about to testify in his own defense. “You must swear to tell the complete truth. Do you understand?”
The client replied that he did. The lawyer then asked, “Do you know what will happen if you don’t tell the truth?”
The client looked back and said, “I imagine that our side will win.”