The Southern Leyte Red Cross Chapter was organized in 1960. In 1964, the chapter acquired a lot donated by the provincial government. It received P20, 000.00 as well from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes for the construction of the Red Cross building. Simultaneously, the establishment of the Leyte del Sur Chapter Blood Bank Extension Service took place, whose facilities were donated by the civic-minded citizens and sympathizers of the province abroad. It was in 1998-1999 that the disaster management and safety capabilities of the chapter were strengthened. The Chapter Board was reorganized and the Chapter made intensive linkages to the various disaster-serving GOs and NGOs. The PNRC also organized the Southern Leyte Emergency Response Team (SOLERT) and strengthened the SYPV (Specialized Young Professional Volunteers) and the adult volunteers group SVS (Specialized Volunteer Services). Provision of safety lifeguards to major beaches of Maasin City institutionalized. Disaster equipment and safety tools for Chapter and Volunteer mobilization during disaster and emergency were made available. When the killer landslides happened in Punta in San Francisco, and in Esperanza in San Ricardo in December 19, 2003, volunteers and staff of the PNRC readily responded with confidence to this major disaster in Pana-on Island. The local staff and volunteers complemented the NHQ-Assessment Team that was sent to assess the area, especially in relief and rehabilitation. As a result, the Red Cross Villages with 239 concrete single houses were constructed to accommodate the landslide victims from Barangays Punta and Esperanza in Pana-on. One of the highlights of the Southern Leyte Chapter serving in disasters was the occurrence of the tragic mudslide that happened in Barangay Guinsaugon, St. Bernard last February 17, 2006. So tragic was the event that nearly all the residents of that Barangay were killed after Mt. Kan-abag broke and practically buried the whole area, which was triggered by a tectonic tremor. The event caught the attention of the whole world through the efforts of the PNRC Chairman/CEO and Senator Richard J. Gordon who was in Geneva, Switzerland for a Red Cross Meeting. Through his world appeal for help, the PNRC received financial and material donations which are now converted into Red Cross Southern Leyte Chapter actions, like relief operations to the victims situated in the 18 evacuation centers, retrieval of the dead human bodies undertaken by the safety and disaster experts from the NHQ, resettlement reconstruction efforts to the Guinsaugon survivors through AUS-AID funds, and the 96 concrete duplex housing units funded by the IFRC to accommodate the 192 displaced families. The Anahawan and the Sogod District Hospitals, which accommodated the medical needs of the survivors during the disaster, were repaired and purchased with medical and laboratory equipment worth millions of pesos. Elementary schools and primary health centers, among others, are being constructed to complement the resettlement sites in St. Bernard with funding support from the JCRS. The IFRC, through its Philippine delegation, will also provide Capacity-building funds for the Southern Leyte Chapter which will include chapter staff and volunteer development, equipping and provision of disaster gears to trained volunteers, intensive trainings of Project 143 volunteers to the 4 IADS of Southern Leyte, basic repair of the chapter building, repair of the Provincial warehouse, and enhancement of the Chapter Blood bank BCU for conversion to Blood Bank Category A.
