The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) marked a significant milestone with the signing of the Deed of Donation and groundbreaking ceremony for the future Pampanga-Angeles City Chapter Building, made possible through the generosity of the Lazatin family, who donated a 300-square-meter parcel of land at Eastgate Commercial Center in San Jose, City of San Fernando.
The donation secures a permanent home for the chapter after vacating the provincial capitol property it had occupied for 78 years.
While the Provincial Government later provided a temporary office, the chapter sought a long-term solution to ensure the continuity of its humanitarian services.
“Today’s donation is an act of humanitarian kindness that will benefit generations of Kapampangans,” PRC Chairman and CEO Dick Gordon said.
“We are deeply grateful to the Lazatin family for ensuring that the Pampanga-Angeles City Chapter will always have a place from which to save lives and alleviate human suffering.”
“A Red Cross chapter must have a permanent home so it can continue serving communities without interruption. We are deeply grateful to the Lazatin family for ensuring that the Pampanga-Angeles City Chapter will always have a place from which to save lives and alleviate human suffering,” Gordon added.
PRC Secretary General Dr. Gwen Pang said the new chapter building represents an investment in stronger emergency response and better services for the people of Pampanga.
“Its strategic location near the expressway will allow our teams to reach accident scenes more quickly, helping us save more lives when every minute counts.”
“Its strategic location near the expressway will allow our teams to reach accident scenes more quickly, helping us save more lives when every minute counts,” Pang stressed.
Representing the donor family, Jaime Lazatin said the donation honors the family’s partnership with the PRC. Lazatin noted that the PRC has long been a trusted humanitarian partner of the people of Pampanga, providing lifesaving services during emergencies and disasters, and expressed the family’s hope that the donation would help strengthen the organization’s mission for generations to come.
The land donation continues the Lazatin family’s decades-long partnership with the PRC. The late Jesus S. Lazatin, former PRC Governor and Chairman of the PRC Pampanga-Angeles City Chapter Board of Directors played a pivotal role in rebuilding the chapter headquarters after it was damaged by lahar in the wake of the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption. His son, Jaime, continues that legacy as the Chapter Board Treasurer.
The new chapter building will strengthen the PRC’s capacity to provide blood services, disaster response, health programs, volunteer development, and emergency humanitarian assistance throughout Pampanga and neighboring communities.
