The Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center (MMMHMC) has trained 20 new Basic Life Support (BLS) facilitators as part of efforts to strengthen emergency response capabilities and support the Department of Health's (DOH) goal of building a CPR-ready Philippines.

The five-day Basic Life Support Training of Facilitators, held from 20 to 24 July and organized by the hospital's Health Emergency and Disaster Management Unit (HEDMU), equipped participants with the knowledge and skills to teach life-saving interventions and emergency response protocols.

MMMHMC Medical Center Chief II Dr. Maria Lourdes K. Otayza emphasized the crucial role of trainers in promoting preparedness and public service.

"Bukod sa passion, kailangan mayroon connection yung utak, yung bibig at yung puso para magawa yung dapat gawin, not just for MMMHMC but for the community," she told the graduates.

The newly certified facilitators are expected to conduct Basic Life Support training for healthcare workers and community stakeholders across Ilocos Norte, covering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), standard cardiac arrest management, and other emergency response techniques.

Hospital officials said the initiative is part of HEDMU's continuing efforts to strengthen health emergency preparedness by expanding the network of trained responders capable of providing immediate, life-saving interventions during medical emergencies.

The hospital added that the program marks another step toward enhancing the province's emergency response capacity through a larger pool of qualified BLS trainers.