TWO local government units and two schools were recently named as winners of the search for excellence in disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM), and humanitarian assistance of the Cordillera region’s Gawad Kalasag.
Gawad Kalasag, which stands for “Kalamidad at Sakuna Labanan Sariling Galing ang Kaligtasan”, is a search that aims to encourage counterparts and stakeholders implement innovative and useful programs in disaster preparedness and emergency management.
After the evaluation and field validation last month, the result showed of the 20 entries, only four will be qualified to compete in the national level, these are Mountain Province’ Provincial DRRM category, municipality of La Trinidad under MDRRMC (1st to 3rd class) category, Lepanto National High School for Public-Rural school category (RSC), and the University of the Cordilleras under the Higher Education Institution category.
The RSC is composed of disaster risk reduction focal persons from different member agencies of the Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CRDRRMC) like Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, National Economic and Development Authority, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Red Cross, Philippine Information Agency, Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, and one non-government agency which is the Philippine Advocates for Resilient Communities.
From 20 entries during the evaluation, the four contenders with more than 80 percent underwent field validation from March 20 to April 3, 2017.
Winners are expected to receive plaques of recognitions plus P50,000 cash to be used for their DRRM-related programs and activities.
According to Ferdinand Tamulto, OCD-CAR focal person for Gawad Kalasag, sixteen other competitors will receive certificates of participation and are being challenged to further reinforce their DRR programs to merit an award in the next years. (Elija Maree Santos and Jina Suh/OCD-CAR)