31 ACTS OF COURAGE

UC employees donate blood, can save lives

Some 31 employees of the University of Cebu (UC) took a quiet act of heroism, providing life-giving blood for those who would be most in need, especially in emergencies.

It was more than just another workday at the Maritime Education and Training Center (METC) campus in Mambaling, Cebu City, on Jan. 30, 2026, when they rolled up their sleeves, their fists gently clenched, not for recognition but for lives they may never personally meet.

Each unit of blood donated that day would find its way to a patient at the University of Cebu Medical Center (UCMed). It can be someone in surgery, a mother in childbirth, a child battling illness, or an emergency case whose survival depends on timely transfusion.

In hospitals, blood is not manufactured. It is given.

The 31 donors understood that reality. Their simple decision to donate strengthens UCMed’s blood bank reserves, a lifeline for patients whose conditions demand immediate and sustained transfusion support.

UCMed medical director Dr. Armando Tan underscored the life-saving value of every bag collected in pointing out that blood availability can mean the difference between life and death.

“It truly does when a patient is wheeled into the operating room or rushed to the emergency department,” Dr. Tan said, praising the 31 donors.

“Their generosity will be felt in operating rooms, delivery suites, and hospital wards. This is healthcare supported not just by doctors and nurses, but by a compassionate community, the University of Cebu family” he said.

A UCMed team mounted the mobile blood donation in partnership with UC-METC, UC Community Awareness, Relations, and Extension Services (CARES), and the UC College of Medical Technologists.

But beyond institutional collaboration, what stood out was individual resolve, noted Capt. Gerry Enjambre, campus director of UC-METC that hosted the symbolic and meaningful activity.

“Our maritime community understands what it means to safeguard life at sea,” he said.

“Today, our employees safeguarded life on land. We are proud that UC-METC became the venue for an initiative that directly supports patients who may be fighting for their lives at UCMed,” he added.

The UCMed Blood Bank team ensured that the process was safe, organized, and donor-friendly. Yet the true measure of the day was not in logistics but in the unseen impact, noted Dr. Tan.

“A single blood donation can help multiple patients. Thirty-one donations multiply that impact many times over,” he quipped.

In the quiet corridors of UCMed in the coming weeks and months, when a transfusion begins and vital signs stabilize, when a surgery proceeds without delay, when a family breathes a sigh of relief, the ripple effect of this one day of giving will continue.

Because sometimes, saving a life starts with simply offering an arm.

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UCMed Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
MATERNITY PACKAGE DEAL PROGRAM

UCMed eHealth for Maternity Package Deal Program
TERMS OF USE AGREEMENT

Last updated:  March 24, 2020

Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully before using the application UCMed Chat Box (the "Service") operated by  University of Cebu Medical Center ("us", "we", or "our").

Your access to and use of the Service is conditioned on your acceptance of and compliance with these Terms. These Terms apply to all visitors, users and others who access or use the Service.

By accessing or using the Service you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you disagree with any part of the terms then you may not access the Service.

To better serve the needs of people in the community, health care services are now available by the electronic transmission of information. This may assist in the evaluation, diagnosis, management and treatment of a number of health care problems for the women enrolled in UCMed Maternity Package Deal Program.  This process is referred to as “telemedicine” ,“telehealth” or “eHealth.” This means that you may be evaluated and treated by a health care provider or specialist from a distant location. Since this may be different than the type of consultation with which you are familiar, it is important that you understand and agree to the following statements.

  1. The eHealth OB-Gyn healthcare provider will be at a different location from me.
  2. I may be asked for my medical history, examinations, x-rays, tests, photographs or other images by the specialist who is at a different location.
  3. I will be informed if any additional personnel are to be present other than myself, individuals accompanying me, and the eHealth OB-Gyn healthcare provider. I will give my permission prior to the entry of the additional personnel.
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