Red Cross opens office in Eastern Visayas

TACLOBAN, Philippines — The Swiss-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has opened an office here to provide protection and assistance to civilians affected by the ongoing armed conflict between government troops and communist rebels. Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) secretary general Alma De Leon said in an interview with BusinessWorld that the Eastern Visayas region has been identified as one of the priority areas of ICRC. "As long as there is armed conflict, there is always a need for ICRC," said Ms. De Leon, a former social welfare secretary and chief of the Civil Service Commission. The ICRC, which was mandated by the 188 parties to the 1949 Geneva Conventions to act on behalf of victims of armed conflict, has offices in Metro Manila, Davao and Zamboanga. It has delegations in 60 countries and activities in more than 80 countries. "We are tasked to visit captured combatants, reunite families that have been torn apart by conflict and provide humanitarian relief to civilians," said Felipe Donoso, head of the ICRC Philippine delegation. The Tacloban office is located along Kalipayan Road in Sagkahan District. — Sarwell Q. Meniano, BusinessWorld