Last weekend the Feast of the Nazarene was held in Manila. This annual religious gathering, which features one of the biggest processions in the country, saw close to 10 million people participating.
Our colleagues at the Philippine Red Cross were kept busy on the scene, where they had set up their emergency field hospital. The hospital, as well as 18 first aid stations they had located throughout the path of the religious procession, treated 1,578 patients in just one day.
The field hospital was originally provided by the Canadian Red Cross in response to the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. The hospital was then handed over to the Philippine Red Cross, along with Canada’s continued support through training and equipment, to ensure the “field readiness” of the unit and Filipino staff. Funding for this work was made possible through generous contributions from Canadians and the Government of Canada.
