An application which aims to help find blood donors is being developed by Josenian Information Technology(IT) students.
BLOOD SEEKER is a platform which aims to bridge this gap. This app won a national innovation and excellence competition in the field of mobile app development in February 2017.
Through the app, one can find a donor within one-kilometer radius.
Upon logging in, this mobile and web app matches people who are in need of a particular blood type with potential donors.
Then, potential donors are requested to answer a series of questions about their physical health which includes drug use, travel history, and sexual habits before being allowed to donate.
From BLOOD SEEKER, the app has been renamed recently to BLOOD+ by its developers namely Sept Joshua Rey Lozada, Kirster Kyle Quinio, Alyzza Villahermosa and Harmiel Salmeron.
The Philippine Red Cross(PRC) is closely monitoring the development of this app. The agency eyes this to serve as their tool to enhance their blood bank services.
In various news reports, the Department of Health claimed that there is a discrepancy between the demand and supply of blood within the region. Finding blood donors had been a dilemma to the families of the patients which needs blood for transfusion operations.
Lozada, the team’s project manager, said that this situation inspired their team to come up with the app.
“Always think about the social impact like how will your idea help the people or the society. It’s not always about the prize or winning,” he emphasized.
The team credits their success to the College of Information, Computer and Communications Technology (CICCT).
“They are the ones who discovered us. Because of the college, we were able to make a team,” he said.
He added that CICCT mentored them from the very start. Moreover, a faculty member supervised them and had extended his time even outside the class in order to maximize the time and further enhance the app.
Mark Cedrick Antonino said that as a Technopreneurship professor, he had shared his knowledge to the team in or out of the school premises. He coached the developers in the process of brainstorming, validating and presenting the idea behind BLOOD+.
Antonino added that Lozada’s team is not the only team that the college is helping.
Inside the faculty room of CICCT, students flock freely as they bring along their gadgets to consult with the experts.
CICCT Dean Dr. Gregg Victor Gabison that mentorship is a component why their students excel in the things that they do.
Faculty staff and the college itself extends its expertise and resources to aid the students in coming up with their outputs.
CICCT has been recognized as a Center for Excellence for I.T. Education by the Commission on Higher Education(CHED).
Written by Lorraine Mitzi Ambrad
