The situation, in brief
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is pushing wider enrollment in its Safe Card membership program, which provides accident-related ambulance service, blood supply, hospitalization allowance, and insurance coverage for P1,200 a year per member. PRC Chairman and former Senator Richard Gordon promoted…
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is pushing wider enrollment in its Safe Card membership program, which provides accident-related ambulance service, blood supply, hospitalization allowance, and insurance coverage for P1,200 a year per member.
PRC Chairman and former Senator Richard Gordon promoted the program in an interview on DZRH News’s Special on Saturday on May 2, saying the membership is designed to address a gap he has observed firsthand: Filipinos injured in accidents who refuse ambulance transport because they cannot afford it.
“Karamihan ayaw na padala sa ambulansya dahil wala raw silang pera. Ayaw padala sa ospital dahil wala silang pera,” Gordon said, citing PRC data showing the organization responded to 33,000 accident incidents in 2025 alone.
For P1,200 annually, Safe Card members—individuals aged 3 to 85—receive one free ambulance service to the nearest hospital and one free unit of blood, both for accident-related incidents, according to PRC promotional materials.
Additional benefits under the program include a P200-per-day daily hospital allowance for up to 60 days, P300,000 coverage for accidental death, disablement, and dismemberment, P300,000 for unprovoked murder and assault, P10,000 in accident-related medical reimbursement, and P5,000 in burial assistance.
Gordon said the ambulance dispatch operates through a central PRC operations center that can coordinate units across the country, from Metro Manila to as far as Sulu and Negros, with the hotline reachable at 143.
“Matatawagan ko ang Sulu, matatawagan ko ang Negros, matatawagan ko lahat ng lugar na makakadalo sa’yo ang Red Cross ambulance or vehicle,” Gordon said.
The PRC currently operates 180 DOH-licensed ambulances nationwide, each equipped with oxygen bottles, defibrillators, ventilators, and staffed by at least two Emergency Medical Technicians. Gordon said he hopes to grow that fleet to between 300 and 400 units as membership expands.
“Nung umupo ako sa Red Cross, isa’t kalahati lang yung ambulansya dahil yung kalahati tinutulak pa para humandar,” Gordon said, describing the state of the PRC fleet when he assumed the chairmanship.
Interested members may register online via QR code, pay through GCash, and submit proof of payment to members@redcross.org.ph. Membership cards may be claimed at any PRC chapter nationwide. The PRC may be reached at its headquarters at 37 EDSA corner Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City, or by calling (+63 2) 8790 2300.
