First aider hailed for reviving sick child

NAGA CITY --- City Mayor John Bongat hailed as a success the Basic Life Support (BLS) Training Program being pursued by the city government here following report about a child being revived back to life through the help of a first aider who has been training under the program.

In his Facebook post, Jonathan De Castro Ponte said that his child Cecilia Nathalyn was having high fever early morning of April 13, 2019, leaving her unconscious and nearly dying when they decided to bring her to the hospital.

At this point, Jerome Villamante, their neighbour and close friend, offered to accompany them to the hospital and while on their way performed CardioPulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Rescue Breathing on the child who gained consciousness before reaching the hospital.

“Habang buhay ako magpapasalamat at nagpapasalamat sa’yo. Bayani ka ng pamilya namin... Sana mas dakol pa ang matabangan mo,” De Castro narrated in his post.

Villamante was once a trainee and is now a trainer under the Basic Life Support (BLS) and First Aid Skills Training of the city government. The training is under the Naga City Community First Responder Program Management Office (NCCFRPMO) organized by City Councilor Joselito Del Rosario.

The program since then and has been actively equipping many residents from different sectors with knowledge and skill in first aid through workshops and skills Olympics.

For his achievement, the city government honored and recognized Villamante before the city officials and employees during the flag ceremony last April 29 with a Certificate of Commendation highlighting the effectiveness of the BLS training program in providing immediate emergency response and preserving lives.

“Human resource will remain as human resource until it is harnessed, and so we develop and capacitate them, so they could be of help also in the community,” City Councilor Del Rosario said while underscoring the importance of basic life support trainings being pursued by the city government among ordinary citizens.

Learning from the previous experiences of emergencies and disasters where medical response delays from concerned agencies are costing lives in as much as it is inevitable Del Rosario, together with his colleagues Jose Rañola and Cecilia de Asis authored City Ordinance No. 2017-007, otherwise known as “An Ordinance Institutionalizing a Community First Responders Training by Focusing on the Members for the Families and providing funds for the purpose.”

The measure, now being enforced, seeks to teach first aid, rescue techniques and other emergency responses in the household level in the city.