Bontoc, Mtn. Prov. – The Provincial Disaster and Risk Reduction Management (PDRRM) Council of Mountain Province (MP) was awarded first place under the Best Provincial DRRM Council Category during the Cordillera Gawad KALASAG (KAlamidad at Sakuna LAbanan, SAriling Galing ang Kaligtasan) Awards 2018 held at the Newtown Plaza Hotel, Claro M. Recto St., Baguio City last February 20, 2019.
The Mountain Province PDRRMC was adjudged by the Regional Selection Committee as the best in the region; hence, the council’s recognition for its commendable efforts and services in advocating DRRM, for its Climate Change Adaptation programs and initiatives and for its pro-active stance in ensuring sustainable development by advancing the province’s disaster preparedness through the enhancement of all its communities’ awareness, capacity and skills on DRRM and emergency response.
Governor and PDRRMC Chair Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr., together with PDRRM Officer, Atty. Edward F. Chumawar, Jr., and PDRRMO Assistant Department Head Joseph Padcayan, received the region’s coveted award in terms of DRRM.
The PDRRMC of Mountain Province was awarded with a plaque of recognition and a cash incentive of Php50,000.00. The cash prize will be used for DRRM programs, projects and activities to further enhance the services of the council and the Mountain Province Disaster Operations Center.
“We are very honored to have received this award. On behalf of our PDRRMC, I extend our profound gratitude to the OCD and NDRRMC and to their regional counterparts, to the Regional Selection Committee and to all other government and private entities who have given us assistance in addressing the disaster-related undertakings in our province,” Chumawar said.
Also, Chumawar assured the award-giving body that the Mountain Province PDRRMC will always be supportive of the programs and policies of the OCD and the NDRRMC.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Administrator and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Executive Director Ricardo B. Jalad was the Guest Speaker. He also led the awarding of plaques of recognition to winners and was assisted by Regional Director of OCD-CAR Regional Director and Cordillera RDRRMC Chairperson Albert A. Mogol.
In his message, Jalad underscored the role of Local Government Units, Civil Society Organizations, schools, volunteers, groups, and individuals who are at the forefront of DRRM.
According to Jalad, the Gawad KALASAG (GK) is the seal of excellence in DRRM and remains to be the country’s premier annual awards for excellent contributions in DRRM and humanitarian assistance and that it is through this that the NDRRMC and RDRRMC recognize programs, activities and projects that protect high risk communities against hazards and provide more capabilities in addressing vulnerabilities and in coping with disasters.
“We appreciate the vital role of responsible Filipino leaders in their communities. Our people deserve exemplary leadership, that brand of leadership that could keep them safe from harm’s way or save them from any danger. We must be relentless in our pursuit for building a country that is safe, climate change adaptive, resilient and progressive,” he said.
Moreover, Jalad lauded the awardees for their vigilance and valiance in responding to the call of the times.
“We commend your foresight, responsibility and exemplary leadership. May your leadership not end here but rather may you be more effective as you are tested by the various hazards that you need to address,” he said.
To further challenge the honorees, he said, “Be relentless in reinventing your strategies so that they will remain always responsive to the changing demands of the DRRM landscape.”
Further still, Jalad anchored his message on DRRM on a line from Sun Tzu’s book, “The Art of War,” which states, “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
According to him, the adage is significant to what KALASAG stands for – staying alive, being disaster resilient and giving quick response at the least possible cost.
He stressed that one success indicator in disaster risk management and mitigation actually lies in minimizing the cost in terms of loss of resources, properties and lives. Such, he said, can be done through preventive interventions like evacuation.
“If we can limit response because we were able to evacuate our people, this will require from us minimal response rather than responding in the form of search, rescue and retrieval which is very costly in terms of destruction to properties and to lives,” Jalad said.
Meanwhile, Governor Lacwasan commended the productive efforts and initiatives of the members of the Mountain Province PDRRM Council and also congratulated the awardee-schools from the province.
“What we have achieved is the result of the collective efforts of the council, the Provincial Government’s PDRRMO, all provincial offices, our partner agencies, volunteer-responders and our very people themselves. Our awards are indicative of our resilience and unity as people of Mountain Province,” he said.
The governor also expressed his sincerest gratitude to all the members of the council.
“Our collective efforts have brought us closer in facing every endeavors in the past years, thank you for your unchanged commitment and support to the province’s DRRM activities,” he uttered.
Moreover, the school awardees from Mountain Province were Banguitan National High School, (2nd Place, Public Secondary School Category), Mt. Data Elementary School (2nd Place, Public Elementary School Category), Cagubatan Elementary School (3rd Place, Public Elementary School Category). The awards were received by their respective school heads. **Novy R. Afidchao, MP-PIO
