MANILA - The public is urged to donate blood at least once in their lifetime, the Philippine Blood Center said Wednesday.

The Philippine Blood Center in Quezon City is open every day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to receive donors, according to its head Dr. Dennis Ordoña.

"Dumadami yung mga TikTok challenge (there are many TikTok challenges), maybe one of our TikTok challenge would be to donate blood at least once in your life," he said in a DOH-organized forum.

At least 600 individuals donated blood over the weekend, Ordoña said.

"Maraming marami po ang dugo (There's many blood supply) but of course, the demand for blood does not decrease. it’s not an indication for us to stop but continue and promote voluntary blood donation," he said.

Blood donation is an "act of solidarity," according to Dr. Graham Harrison from the World Health Organization. It is also the theme of the Department of Health's National Voluntary Blood Services Program for World Blood Donor Day which was celebrated on Tuesday.

"It’s important that we remind ourselves that blood donation is about solidarity. It is an act of altruism, where you're doing something to benefit others but not expecting anything personally in return," Harrison said.

"The WHO uses this day to raise awareness for ongoing investment from governments and others to build a sustainable and resilient national blood system and the importance of increasing collection from voluntary non-enumeration blood donors."

The health agency's NVBSP's blood collection declined during the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic but has since slightly increased, according to its program manager Marites Estrella.

In 2019, the NVBSP had collected 1.39 million blood units which dropped to 1.04 million blood units in 2020, and 1.118 million blood units in 2021, according to its data.

"As you can see we are able still to maintain more than 1 million blood units collected in the country and slightly increased last year to 1.118 million blood units collected," she said.

"We maximize these blood resources through our regional and inter-regional blood services network...Together with the Philippine Red Cross, blood service facilities from private sectors and local government units, together we work to really involve other partners to reach other regions, especially with the surge of COVID-19."

The office had coordinated with local governments and transported potential blood donors to its facilities, she said.

There are 5 blood centers in Luzon, 2 in Visayas, and 4 in Mindanao, Estrella said. Six more blood centers will be built in different regions, she added.

Blood donors must comply with the following requirements, according to the DOH NVBSP:

• Healthy individuals between ages 18 to 65
• Weigh at least 50 kilograms or 110 pounds
• Have a blood pressure between 90 to 160 systolic and 60 to 100 diastolic
• Have a pulse rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute

COVID-19 patients can donate blood after their recovery, according to Ordoña.

"After you have recovered from COVID infection then it’s okay to donate blood. But of course, it’s 10 days, a couple of weeks later. If you are feeling unwell, you should put it off until you’re better," Harrison added.

Those with comorbidities can donate blood as long as their underlying conditions are controlled, Ordoña said. Patients with blood-transmissible diseases cannot donate blood, he added.

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