Mass CPR Demonstrations Empower Filipinos Nationwide
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) recently conducted mass CPR demonstrations across the country to teach Filipinos essential lifesaving skills. These simultaneous events aimed to empower communities with the knowledge and confidence to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation during emergencies.
One of the key gatherings took place at the DOH Metro Manila Center for Health Development, where over 300 participants including community members, local leaders, and barangay health workers from Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Las Piñas, and Pasay joined the training. This initiative was part of the National CPR Day celebrations, highlighting the importance of early intervention when someone suffers cardiac arrest.
How to Perform CPR Correctly
Dr. Alexis Dimapilis, the national course director for basic life support at DOH, explained the proper technique to the attendees. He advised that the person administering CPR should kneel beside the victim and place their hands on the center of the chest, aligned with an imaginary nipple line. One hand must rest on top of the other, and the rescuer’s shoulders should be directly over their hands to apply effective compressions.
“CPR is used when there is a victim suffering from sudden cardiac arrest. How do we know that they suffered from sudden cardiac arrest? We check for consciousness. If there isn’t, then [the person experienced a] sudden cardiac arrest,” Dimapilis said in Filipino.
He stressed that before starting CPR, people should first call for help to ensure medical aid is on the way. The quality of CPR is crucial — compressions should be delivered at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute, with a depth of 2 to 5 centimeters to maximize the victim’s survival chances.
Remember the “SAGIP” Steps for CPR
The DOH introduced the acronym “SAGIP” to help the public recall the correct CPR steps: Survey the scene for safety, Assess the victim’s condition, Get help immediately, Initiate chest compressions, and Place automated external defibrillator (AED) pads when available.
Dimapilis emphasized the urgency of prompt CPR, noting that the victim’s chance of survival decreases by approximately 10% for every minute without proper compressions.
“CPR is a very simple technique. You don’t need to be a doctor or nurse. Even if you are an ordinary person, doing CPR, even just hands-only CPR, can help a lot. Not just with other people, you might even need to use it on your loved ones,” he added.
By equipping Filipinos with these skills, the DOH hopes to create a community ready to act in critical moments, potentially saving countless lives across the nation.
For more news and updates on CPR training, visit Filipinokami.com.
