Red Cross Youth (Philippines)

In other organizations, one maybe considered a member without paying any fee. In the Red Cross, the PRC considers as members those who contribute to the fund campaign and those who donate blood but their contributions are not considered as membership fee.

However, in the PRC Youth Program, one becomes a member after paying the membership fee (at present, general membership fee is P50.00). A JRC member may become a volunteer at the same time but a volunteer can not become a member unless he/she pays his membership fee.

The youth arm of the Philippine Red Cross has always been registered under a class enrollment concept. School authorities assist the Red Cross in the collection of membership fee in school, but proper coordination and series of meetings with DepEd officials, teachers and even the parents are to be done in order to the local Red Cross chapters to have opportunities to explain the components of the membership fee and where this goes.

Junior Red Cross members are elementary students whose age ranges from 7 to 12 years old. They are formed into school council with the active JRC Adviser as their guide and adult leader who facilitates and assist the council in recruiting, organizing and training JRC members in the school or institution.

Originally, the Red Cross Youth High School belongs to the JRC category of the Red Cross Youth Program. There was no clear delineation of responsibilities nor with the activities. The program of the high school students were the same as that of the elementary students.

But then, this set-up was observed to cause a problem. The high school students are too old for program being offered to the elementary students and yet they are young for the activities being done by the college students. And so, the need to reclassify the high school students and create activities that suits their age level was identified and addressed by the PRC.

In January 1995, the board of governors approved the separation of the high school students from the JRC category. With that, they would no longer be called JRC members but instead Senior Red Cross Youth, a step higher than the JRC and a step lower than the College RCYs whose age ranges from 13 to 16 years old.

Originally, SPRCY Red Cross Youth was supposed to belong on College Red Cross Youth but due to the implementation of the K-12 program on both private and public schools, the Philippine Red Cross created another program which is the Senior Plus Red Cross Youth. The Red Cross Program for senior high school, whose age ranges from 16 to 18 years old. There was no clear delineation of responsibilities nor with the activities. The program of the senior high school students were the same as that of the junior high school students.

The Red Cross Program for college students, whose age ranges from 16 to 25 years old, was approved by the board on January 28, 1969. Its primary aim is to develop among the students the spirit of humanitarianism and social service through active and direct involvement in Red Cross activities.

According to information received by the Youth Bureau of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Red Cross program has grown much wider partly because new trends in educational methods favored participation of young people in action (i.e. learning through action) and recently also in planning and decision making and because young Red Cross members have gradually become more than just recipients of direct educational programs.

The Youth have identified themselves more and more with the ideas of the Red Cross, through learning about its principles and tasks. In view of this, they have become Red Cross volunteers of the same value as the adult members, for they come to the Red Cross not only to learn to get, but also to actively participate in the life of the Red Cross, to render services where needed.

But this was changed in 2018, the College Red Cross Youth shall be age range from 18 to 25 years old.

Red Cross offers services not only to those in schools but also to the young professionals and community based youth. The program for Community Red Cross Youth was approved by the board on July 20, 1969. A Leadership Training Course was adopted and patterned after the LEAD (Leadership, Education, Ability, and Development) program of San Pablo City. The aim is to train the youth to serve themselves and their families through the Red Cross and use their time by learning a trade for their livelihood.

This particular category of the youth program was known before as the Out-of-School Red Cross Youth (OS-RCY). However, in a board meeting held on October 5, 1993, it was approved that there shall be a change in nomenclature: from Out-of-School to Community Red Cross Youth, whose age ranges from 7 to 30 years old.

• National Youth Council
  Main article: National Youth Council (Philippines)
  Red Cross Youth Volunteers who are elected as coordinators of their respective areas during the biennial national gathering (National Youth Congress).
• Chapter Youth Council – Red Cross Youth Volunteers who are elected as coordinators of the school councils within their respective chapter's areas of jurisdiction.
• School/Community RCY Council – Red Cross Youth Volunteers who are elected as officers of their respective school or community Red Cross Youth Councils.
• National Trainer – Red Cross Youth Volunteers who has undergone and successfully completed the Red Cross Youth National Trainers Training. They are authorized by the Red Cross Youth to conduct or facilitate the different Red Cross Youth Training Courses.
• Leadership Trainer – Red Cross Youth Volunteers who has undergone and successfully completed a Red Cross Youth Trainers Training on Leadership. They are authorized by the Red Cross Youth to conduct or facilitate the different Red Cross Youth Leadership Training Courses.
• HAPE Educator – Red Cross Youth Volunteers who has undergone and successfully completed an Educators Course for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Education. They are authorized by the Red Cross Youth to conduct a dissemination session on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Education (HAPE).
• SAPE Educator – Red Cross Youth Volunteers who has undergone and successfully completed an Educators Course for Substance Abuse Prevention and Education. They are authorized by the Red Cross Youth to conduct a dissemination session on Substance Abuse Prevention and Education (SAPE).
• RCY IHL Disseminator – Red Cross Youth Volunteers who has undergone and successfully completed the Training of Disseminators for IHL. They are authorized by the Red Cross Youth and the IHL Office to conduct a dissemination session on IHL in schools.
• RCY DRT Trainer – Red Cross Youth Volunteers who has undergone and successfully completed a DRT Trainers Course. They are authorized by the Red Cross Youth and the Disaster Management Services to conduct Disaster Management Trainings for the youth.
• RCY Debriefer – Red Cross Youth Volunteers who has undergone and successfully completed a Critical Incidence Stress Debriefers Course. They are authorized by the Red Cross Youth and the Social Services to conduct Critical Incidence Stress Debriefing for the youth. (CISD)

Exchange Project is a youth cooperation project between the Japanese JRC/RCY Division and the Philippine Red Cross Youth – Red Cross Youth Department involving selection of vulnerable public elementary schools in the Philippines and distribution by the Japanese RCY members of school supplies to pupils and students, and sports equipment to select schools. The school distribution is the entry point for a more comprehensive program of youth interaction and international exchange of correspondence between the two societies, with intensified youth membership. The program also involves the actual exchange of RCY members between Japan and the Philippines through the annual "Mt. Fuji International Youth Exchange" held every November.[2]

An institutionalized program with an exclusive set of training activities for Junior Red Cross members (elementary students) aims to develop or enhance the potentials of Junior Red Cross Youth members to become good leaders and train them on how to administer Basic First Aid.

The JFAP will also give them opportunity to practice their learned knowledge and skills in their school clinics through coordination of possible duty schedules with the school administration.

A national biennial gathering of active and registered Chapter Youth Council Advisers from the Philippine Red Cross Chapters nationwide, where they share experiences and best practices among themselves and undertake, plan out strategies and methodologies to further improve the structure and performance of the Red Cross Youth Councils in the schools and in the communities.

The Red Cross Youth Department, through the manager, is responsible in facilitating the regular and Executive Council Meeting of the National Youth Council Officers. They usually meet every quarter to discuss and plan for relevant and productive National RCY activities.

The highest deliberative body of the Red Cross Youth, which is convened biennially with qualified chapter RCY officers and members (15–25 years old) in attendance from all over the country in order to discuss relevant strategies and plans to continually intensify quality leadership among RCY and develop youth programs for the future. The congress, which is highly participatory, is designed to draw the youth's interest in bringing out the best in them. The Congress venue is selected alternately within Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao islands.

A special time celebrated yearly during the month of October to make the public more aware of the Red Cross Youth activities at the National Headquarters and in the chapters. This month-long celebration is mainly designed to intensify promotion of the RCY programs though the tri-media with the active participation of the Red Cross Youth Star Volunteers and motivate more and more young people to join the Red Cross Youth organization. As designated also on the Ten Most Outstanding Red Cross Youth members from the chapters who excel in leadership and other fields of humanitarian services.

Ten Outstanding Red Cross Youth 2010 (L-R) Top: Peter Dampor of Bohol, Van Cristian Lo, Manila; Joe Jurado, Misamis Oriental-Cagayan de Oro City; Jerison Macrohon, Rizal; Bottom: Randy Mendoza, Pangasinan-Dagupan City; Janice Tabano, Valenzuela City; Elcy Debildos, Davao City; Irish Alhambra, Olongapo City; Francia Cardinez, La Union-San Fernando City; and Michael San Juan, Camarines Sur.

A special group of wholesome celebrity from the entertainment industry screened by the Youth Committee. As role models for the Red Cross Youth, these volunteers undergo same qualifying training on leadership and commit to promote and endorse the youth programs of the Red Cross in tri-media, and support the fund generation initiatives of NHQ and the chapters.

Also known as the SuperCamp Philippines, is a 5-day camping for Junior and Senior Red Cross Youth members (9 to 16 years old) to enjoy the wonders of nature and enrichment of teamwork experience through wholesome outdoor games and other environment-friendly competitions, leadership enhancement indoor sessions, and opinion-sharing over vital youth issues.

An annual search for outstanding Red Cross Youth volunteers who have rendered unselfish service of excellence to the Philippine Red Cross. It aims to recognize the volunteers for their invaluable support and contributions to the PRC through the Red Cross Youth Programs.

Pledge 25 Logo

A national recognition on how a Chapter Youth Council can make a difference by way of providing service to, advocating for, with the vulnerable people in the communities. The general criteria of this award are: Impact of the different projects to the community, participation of the youth/youth mobilization, innovativeness/creativity or ability to use technology, promotion of the 6 major services of the Philippine Red Cross, Principles of Red Cross and of the Red Cross Youth Objectives.

A crucial youth activity participated in by RCY members (17–25 years old) who wish to become Youth Instructors for Leadership and are certified to capably conduct RCY trainings such as Youth Volunteer Orientation Course, Leadership Formation Course, Basic Leadership Training, HIV/AIDS Prevention Education, Substance Abuse Prevention Education, Pledge 25 and International Humanitarian Law – Children Involved in Arm Conflict.

A project of the Philippine Red Cross – Red Cross Youth Department (RCY) in support of the drive on voluntary blood donation. It is a group of young blood givers where members, after being motivated to become voluntary blood donors, will pledge to regularly donate blood 3 to 4 times a year starting the age of 18 until they reach 25 years old. After this period, they will be joining other blood donors' group as the Blood Galloners' Club of the National Blood Services (NBS) for their regular and continuous blood donation.

• Youth Volunteers' Orientation Module – It seeks to orient and give proper information on its participants about the Red Cross Movement, its principles, emblem and services. Likewise, it also endeavors to draw out values on volunteerism from the participant through workshops and other activities.[3]
• Values Formation Course – It endeavors to give its participants a venue for self-awareness, re-assessments of their values and beliefs, and formation of leadership ideas suited for the organization.
• Team Development – It undertakes synthesis of the first two training sessions and tackles, discusses and conducts workshops on simple leadership skills and concepts such as development and organization, team building and the concept of leadership.

A basic dissemination course aimed to provide proper education on the prevention of HIV and AIDS.

Formerly Drug Abuse Prevention Education (DAPE), a basic dissemination course aimed to provide proper education on the prevention of substance abuse.

This half-day orientation aims to provide basic information about Pledge 25 and Voluntary Blood Donation of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) which focus on the importance of blood donation and the role of youth blood donors. Voluntary blood donation needs youth participation and this orientation will be a valuable source of information for potential blood donors especially for the young.

• Youth Instructor's Training
• HAPE Educators Course
• SAPE Educators Course
• Leadership Development Program
• Pledge 25 Donor Recruiter