In 2007 I noticed what seemed to me to be an excessive number of funerals in my barangay. A lot of people were dying. What is worse, they were dying from things that were preventable.

A little research disclosed that the leading cause of death of children in Sta. Cruz was diarrhea.  The municipality had no ambulance service, and people who were injured or seriously ill could not easily get to the hospital. The delay in emergency treatment and transport contributed to many deaths.  Also, the Province of Zambales leads the Philippines with the number of childbirth related deaths, many of which should be preventable.

I discussed my observations with several people in the community and we decided to get together and form an all volunteer peoples organization, modeled after the volunteer fire departments. It was also important for our organization to focus on individual Barangay needs, and prevention. We had no equipment, no training, and no money, but we were able to ignite the visions of the citizens into becoming volunteers.  

The Barangay Emergency Response Team was formed January 30, 2008. We registered with the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 16, 2009 and operate as a Non Government Organization (NGO),

Our goal is the improvement of the overall Barangay health. Working with our barangay officials, the municipal government, the provincial government, the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Philippine National Red Cross, and other government, civic, and volunteer organizations we are able to achieve our goal.   

Our plan is to have a volunteer organization fully trained in each of the 25 Barangays of Sta. Cruz.  We hope to have fully equipped ambulances to serve the municipality.  As of April 2010 the Municipality of Sta. Cruz still has no working ambulance for its 55,000 residents.

At present we have fully trained First Responders to provide emergency First Aid as required 24 hours a day.  As of April 2010 we have 73 volunteers in nine barangays.

The Rizal-MacArthur Memorial Foundation is sending us medical supplies from the USA.  We are working to raise funds to purchase an ambulance, equipment and supplies.

We are registered with the DSWD, as a Social Welfare Agency, and accreditated by the Municipal Mayors office.  We are a member of the Area Based Standards Network, and have requested to be a part of  the Municipal Health Committee, since we are the only accreditated NGO of this type in Sta. Cruz, Zambales. 

We practice 100% transparency and we publish all our financials.

     Thank You,

Robert Darling

    Executive Director