Three Years Strong: The Journey of Staying Alive

The Rotaract Club of Cosmopolitan Lucena, in partnership with RAC Metro Lucena Pioneer and the SK of Barangay Isabang, successfully held National CPR Day: Staying Alive Year 3, training 30 youth participants in hands-only CPR. The program featured interactive activities, inspiring messages, and a seminar led by IPP Coleen Tañola, who provided step-by-step demonstrations for adult, child, and infant CPR. With hands-on practice and community collaboration, the project continued the club’s advocacy of making lifesaving skills accessible to every household.

Objectives of the project: 

• To raise awareness on the importance of hands-only CPR as a vital life saving skill during cardiac emergencies

• To provide participants with hands-on training and practical experience in performing CPR for adults, children, and infants

• To build confidence among participants in responding to real-life emergency situations through CPR application.

Its beneficiaries/participants: 30 Kabataan ng Brgy. Isabang, Lucena City

Date, venue, and partners: August 19, 2025, Salamillas Compound Covered Court, Sangguniang Kabataan ng Brgy. Isabang, Rotaract Club of Metro Lucena Pioneer

One heart, one beat, one skill — that could mean the difference between life and death. For Immediate Past President Coleen Tañola of the Rotaract Club of Cosmopolitan Lucena, this truth became personal at just 18 years old, when her father suffered a major health scare. The experience ignited a determination to always be prepared, leading her to train as a certified emergency medical responder. In her training, she learned that only 12% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients receive CPR before reaching the hospital, and just 2.4% survive. Due to this, what began as her personal mission soon grew into a powerful advocacy — one that now drives her club’s commitment to equip every household with the lifesaving skill of high-quality CPR.

It was in the club’s initial year in Rotaract that this advocacy came to life. In 2022, Coleen and her fellow charter members under Charter President Ben Rubio launched the inaugural National CPR Day: Staying Alive. Being a young club, they focused on their fellow Rotaractors as the main beneficiaries, resulting in more than 50 Rotaractors gaining knowledge in hands-only CPR. Yet even from the start, the vision was clear — to make CPR knowledge accessible not just to fellow members, but to ordinary citizens who may one day face life-or-death emergencies.

By the second year, the project expanded its reach to 50 more adults from the community. However, the club quickly recognized that the youth proved to be more adaptable, making them well-equipped to carry the skill forward. This realization reshaped the program’s direction, turning the spotlight toward young people in barangays — empowering them as the next generation of lifesavers.

This vision reached new heights this year with the success of National CPR Day: Staying Alive Year 3, held in partnership with the Rotaract Club of Metro Lucena Pioneer and the Sangguniang Kabataan of Barangay Isabang. The event gathered 30 kabataan from the community, all eager to learn and practice the vital skill of CPR. Guided by the lively hosting of CP Ben Rubio and inspired by the opening messages of Presidents Christine Rubio and Reyann Bustilla, the atmosphere was both engaging and empowering.

The heart of the program was the Hands-Only CPR Seminar, facilitated by IPP Coleen Tañola, who not only shared her expertise but also demonstrated step-by-step procedures for adult, child, and infant CPR. Participants then practiced the techniques themselves, ensuring they left with real, hands-on confidence. Q&A session deepened their understanding, while closing remarks from SK Chairman Frances Daño reinforced the importance of sustaining community efforts for safety and preparedness.

The impact of Staying Alive reaches far beyond a single day of training. CPR is more than a medical skill — it is a lifeline for the community. In moments where every second matters, a trained bystander can mean the difference between life and death. The program instills confidence and readiness, giving ordinary people the extraordinary ability to act in critical situations. Each participant walks away as a bearer of hope, equipped to save a life when it matters most. For Rotaract, this advocacy reflects Rotary’s mission of Service Above Self by creating a legacy of preparedness, resilience, and compassion within every community it touches.

Looking ahead, the Rotaract Club of Cosmopolitan Lucena envisions a future where CPR knowledge is as common as learning how to read or write. From barangays to schools, and eventually to families and workplaces, the dream is to make lifesaving education accessible to all. The Staying Alive project will continue year after year, each edition building on the last, sustaining momentum, and widening its impact.

However, this mission is bigger than one club — it is a call for Rotaract to work together in advocating CPR training within communities. By doing so, we create a network of everyday heroes ready to respond when seconds matter most. Imagine a loved one collapsing, and someone trained by Rotaract stepping in — keeping a heartbeat going, buying precious minutes until help arrives. That single act could change the story of a family forever. Staying Alive is more than a project; it is a movement of preparedness, courage, and hope.

Because with one heart, one beat, and one skill, anyone can keep the advocacy alive.