Richard J. Gordon

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard J. Gordon, concurrently a member of the Philippine Senate, is well-known all throughout his public service record for being an action man and for beating great odds in a disaster-prone country.

In the 1980's as Mayor, he transformed Olongapo's "Sin City" image into a model city by engaging an active citizenry in solving crime, ensuring police accountability, improving garbage collection, health and sanitation and orderly public transport and traffic in a community that hosted the largest American military facility outside the continental United States. In the 1990's he led the transformation of Subic Naval Base after the departure of the American Navy, inspiring 8,000 volunteers who preserved the US$8-billion facility and making it the Philippines' premier free port and special economic zone. From 2001 to 2004 as Philippine Tourism Secretary, he turned around a moribund industry shaken by threats of terrorism after 9-11 and the fear of SARS disease. In doing so gained the respect of his peers internationally, who elected him World Tourism Organization Commissioner for East Asia and the Pacific in 2002 and Chair of the Pacific Asia Travel Association in 2003, becoming the chief advocate of Third World countries affected by unfair travel advisories by Western governments.

Consistently guiding him for more than 40 years of public service are the principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement imbibed early on when he became a volunteer after his mother, recipient of the highest PRC award, the Gold Humanitarian Cross and Pearl S. Buck award, founded the Red Cross chapter in Olongapo City. Today, she remains Chairperson of the said chapter. Gordon's daughter, Marnie, is a "galloner" RH-negative Type O blood donor. His son, Brian, an Olongapo city councilor, sits on the Board of the chapter. His spouse, Kate, was honorary chapter chairperson during her three terms as mayor. Belonging to a Red Cross family is more than semantics for Richard Gordon.

On many occasions, Gordon led rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations around the Philippines, such as the 1987 sinking of the M/V Asuncion off Palawan island after colliding with another sea vessel where he adopted one of the survivors orphaned by the tragedy taking her under his care and sending her to school. Lilibeth Acar is now a practicing Physical Therapist.

The 1990 killer earthquake that hit Luzon where he lead a joint Philippine and American civilian and military rescue effort in the collapsed Central College of the Philippines in Cabanatuan City as well as the rescue of thousands of college students stranded in the mountain city of Baguio to be reunited with their parents. Among the victims turned hero at Cabanatuan was Rodrigo Robiso whom he employed at City Hall and is now happily raising his own family in Olongapo.

Gordon's preparation and readiness also saw him sending trained and equipped volunteers to disasters and accidents such as engineers and electricians to Negros Island in the Visayas that was rendered without electric power for weeks by super-typhoon Didang in 1989. By providing body bags for sanitation and quick identification, he brought dignity to the thousands who died and closure and comfort to their families during the killer floods in Ormoc City in 1991. He sent fully equipped professional divers to recover drowned religious devotes from the fluvial parade sinking of vessels in Bulacan in 1993.

The many eruptions of the very active Mt. Mayon saw Gordon's foresight at rescue, relief as well as rehabilitation of the thousands of families in towns of the Bicol region when he brought water tankers to the area such that local government leaders thereat requested that the volunteer operators and water tankers remain to sustain service of potable drinking water to the various refugee camps until they completely recovered from the eruption.

In 1991, disaster struck closer to home with the eruption of the century of long dormant Mt. Pinatubo. Gordon's leadership helped save thousands of lives by evacuating city residents and 9,000 indigenous tribe people from the flanks of the volcano just days before the big blast. His quick action of assigning patient tags saved the lives of the latter refugees by filling the communication gap with volunteer doctors at refugee centers. His efforts revived the city, driven by volunteerism and self-help.

Gordon is always quick to help. In the middle of a presentation before prospective investors at Subic Freeport, after learning from an aide of a call for help over the radio, he immediately led a team with a fully equipped crash rescue truck that he recently purchased for the Freeport to dig out survivors and bodies from the rubble of the collapsed Guzman Tech Building in Manila in 1994.