QUEZON CITY, Dec. 12 (PIA) – The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) National Capital Region (NCR) recently honored award this year’s winners of the Regional Gawad KALASAG search. Regional Director for Office of Civil Defense-NCR, Susan Cruz, during the awarding ceremony held Friday (Dec. 9) at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Ortigas, Mandaluyong City, thanked the local government units for excellent implementation of their respective active disaster management program. Cruz also noted that disaster risk reduction and management is championed in Metro Manila especially in schools saying that 100 percent of schools in the region regularly conduct of earthquake drills.The Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) bagged this year’s Regional Gawad Kalasag award for the category Highly Urbanized City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. The Quezon City DRRM team, led by its City Administrator Aldrin Cuña, received the prestigious award, in behalf of Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista. Cuña said the award shall serve as a challenge for Quezon City to step up its efforts in promoting human security and in the strengthening of the city’s coping capabilities and resiliency, especially in times of calamities.
San Juan City Mayor Guia Gomez personally received the award for the San Juan City DRRMC after placing in second for the same category. The Paranaque City DRMMC bagged the third place for this award. For the school category, the winners are: Lord’s Hands Academy (private); Melencio M. Castelo ES (first place); Pio Valenzuela ES (second place); and Sta. Lucia HS (third place) for public schools. The National Children’s Hospital was named this year’s best hospital under the special hospital category. While Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center was adjudged as the best government hospital for this year. Barangay Sto. Cristo in Quezon City was also named as the Best Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee (urban). The Valenzuela City DRRMC Search and Rescue was named winner to the Best Government Emergency Management (GEM Urban), followed by the Quezon City DPOS, and coming in third is the Parañaque Search and Rescue.
Retired general Manuel Gonzalez, head of the Road Emergency Group of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority noted the Gawad Kalasag and stressed that providing timely humanitarian assistance is of paramount importance as it entails energy, resources and commitment because it involves the lives of families and loved ones. Assistant Secretary Demosthenes Santillan, Deputy Administrator for Regional Operations of the Office Civil Defense stressed the importance of disaster management. The Gawad Kalasag award was conceived to encourage participation of various stakeholders in crafting and implementing DRRM programs aimed at protecting or shielding high risk communities against hazards. It promotes the spirit of volunteerism among agencies and individuals in providing the much needed help during the response phase of DRRM. (RJB/JEG/PIA-NCR)
0 Comments