TACLOBAN CITY, Aug. 3 -- The Department of Health (DOH) expressed optimism that Eastern Visayas will meet its annual blood collection target with the operation of the regional blood center here.

DOH Eastern Visayas Regional Director Exuperia Sabalberino said on Monday that the regional blood center, located within the Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC) complex here, is now fully operational following a series of upgrades and enhancements in recent years.

"We are slowly upgrading to cater to the needs of the region. The target is to collect blood equivalent to one percent of the population. If the region's population is 4.7 million, that means we must collect 47,000 units of blood in a year," Sabalberino told the Philippine News Agenc...