The Cebu provincial government won this year’s Gawad Kalasag regional award for employing disaster personnel and for preparing a well-defined disaster plan, and will now advance to the national competition.
Cebu province bested the provinces of Bohol and Siquior in Central Visayas and will now qualify for the national awards scheduled in July.
Gawad Kalasag (KAlamidad at Sakuna LAbanan SAriling Galing ang Kaligtasan) award is an initiative of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) through the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD).
The search for the best Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Councils in Local Government Units (LGUs) is now on its 18th year.
Last year’s best DRRM Council award went to Isabela province.
Baltazar Tribunalo Jr., head of the Cebu Provincial Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO), said this is the first time that Cebu province won the Gawad Kalasag regional award.
Tribunalo said he is now excited to attend the awarding ceremonies in Manila in July.
He said the recognition is a confirmation of the hard work that PDRRMO personnel have invested in making sure that the office is properly staffed and prepared to respond to calamities.
“Base sa report sa OCD kita ang the best PDRRMO. Ang rason kay because naa na tay regular department head, assistant department head, division heads og klaro atong report. In other words naa tay sakto nga staff og klaro nga annual plan, so that’s good news (The OCD report chose us as the best PDRRMO (in Central Visayas). The reason is we have a regular department head, assistant department head, division heads and we produce a well-prepared (disaster) reports. In other words, we have well-identified personnel and a well-prepared annual plan, so that’s good news),” Tribunalo said during an interview on Monday.
Tribunalo said he received a telephone call from OCD last week informing him of the provincial government’s selection as Gawad Kalasag Central Visayas winner.
Award winners are expected to receive a plaque of recognition and a cash prize./Xavier University Intern Jeaselle Villalobos