Life-saving idea to Metro-Manila’s “worst disaster scenario” acted by Malacañang

by Joey Natividad
Senior Editor

Nathan Sergio of Naga City, Camarines Sur has a life-saving idea that will save countless lives if a widespread disaster struck Metro-Manila, and his idea was picked up by the President and referred it to concerned agencies.

According to Sergio, his idea of building up stocks of blood for transfusion as a component for the contingency plan prepared for Metro-Manila in case of a big, destructive earthquake has been on his shelf for quite some time.

Sergio said he conveyed his life-saving idea to then President Noynoy Aquino, but it was not given any merit. He sent the same to then President Rodrigo R. Duterte, but his Administration had been preoccupied to Covid-19 pandemic response.

It was then the present Marcos Administration has given his life-saving idea merit that it has been referred to concerned agencies this week.

“Good news. The Palace has acted on my letter to the President. It endorsed my letter to SND-NDRRMC, DOH, MMDA & DOST, for their appropriate action. I am optimistic they will find the idea meritorious,” he said, in his latest Facebook post Thursday morning, August 25.

“Big One” coming – PHIVOLCS

Already bothered by the forecast of experts of a highly probable “big earthquake magnitude 7+ scenario at any time now” rocking the National Capital Region (NCR), Sergio sent President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. a letter conveying his idea of the need to build up stocks of blood to supply the widespread needs of injured victims in case the “worst case earthquake scenario” might occur in the NCR.

The “worst case earthquake scenario” described by experts, for the NCR would be marked by countless destroyed and damaged buildings and infrastructures, and thousands of injured victims and deaths to several thousands more.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) on several occasions has been quoted about the “Big One” (earthquake) being “ripe to happen anytime now.”

Life-saving idea, “Blood Supply Generation Program”

Sergio, in his letter that was received by Malacanang before the President’s SONA, suggested the creation of a “Blood Supply Generation Program” as an indispensable component of the Metro Manila Earthquake Contingency Plan.

Sergio’s life-saving idea is an off-shoot of the contingency plan being prepared in response to a worst-case earthquake scenario of magnitude 7.2 hitting Metro-Manila, which is likely to cause deaths to thousands of people and injure tens of thousands more.

“Thus to attain this, I think, we ought to seriously consider blood supply and transfusion in the entire picture of this disaster response in addition to the search-and-rescue efforts already contemplated in the Plan,” Sergio, in his letter, conveyed his idea to the President.

Word from “above”

Last week, Sergio said the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) informed him that Malacanang acknowledged his letter, a sign that his life-saving idea was given official attention.

“This idea is not new, as far as I am concerned. I have floated this (life-saving idea) since the PNoy Administration. I wrote the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and it published my letter. But, nothing came out of it. The National Government did not react, nor paid any attention. Then, during the Duterte Administration, my letter to the President was endorsed to a Government Agency, whose full attention was preoccupied by Covid-19 pandemic responses. Thus, I resurrected it again now in the current Marcos Administration. It may get some results this time around,” Sergio mused.

Sergio with his idea to save countless lives may look like a giant, but he is a simple man who had served as City Councilor in Naga City, and had served his best years with the City Government for twenty years.

Despite being a polio victim who walked with metal braces on his leg, Sergio had received citations for his accomplishments, and recognized for his meritorious work in senior citizens affairs in Naga.