Apayao – The province of Apayao, led by PDRRMC chair Governor Elias C. Bulut Jr., and all 7 of its Local government Units (LGUs) have been conferred with the prestigious 24th Gawad KALASAG Seal of Excellence Award due to their exemplary performance rating in disaster preparedness and management, the OCD-RDRRMC announced last week, Dec. 4.
Apayao was among the 55 ‘Fully Compliant Awardees’ in the region, along with the municipalities of Santa Marcela, Luna, Flora, Calanasan, Conner, and Kabugao. The town of Pudtol was among the 19 recipients of ‘Beyond Compliant Seal’ in CAR setting an outstanding standard in the province.
Though the whole province is susceptible to natural disasters, such as typhoons, monsoon flooding, and landslides as evidenced by the series of calamities in recent months, it has shown its resilience, response efficiency and recovery strategies through the concerted efforts of the DRRM members and partners.
The Gawad KALASAG Seal of Excellence Award is bestowed to LGUs after having been assessed to be generally adherent to the standards and functionality of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils and Offices (LDRRMCOs) as prescribed in Republic Act No. 10121 (Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010). It was established to honor individuals, groups, or institutions that have demonstrated self-sacrifice, heroism, and courage in responding to disaster emergencies.
Apayao PLGU and its 7 municipalities are commended for having satisfactorily performed and passed the assessments which include DRRM structure, competency, management system, enabling policies, knowledge management and advocacy, and partnership and participation.
After receiving the recognition, the LDRRMCOs pledged to sustain the Gawad Kalasag or (KAlamidad at Sakuna LAbanan SAriling Galing ang Kaligtasan) Seal and Special Awards for Excellence in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Humanitarian Assistance and enhance their services of saving lives. By Arjay Baysa
