LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) conferred to the La Trinidad municipal government the coveted national award for effective and efficient disaster risk reduction and management for first to third class municipalities during the recognition of top performing DRRM implementers in the country recently.
La Trinidad was able to emerge at the top of the qualified first to third class municipalities in this year’s Gawad KAlamidad at Sakuna LAbanan SAriling Galing ang Kaligtasan (KALASAG) recognition rites.
Mayor Romeo Salda expressed his gratitude to the members of the municipal disaster risk reduction and management council and more importantly the volunteers who painstakingly worked hard in ensuring the local government’s compliance to the standards imposed by the national screening committee for the awardees.
“We are elated that La Trinidad was able to add up to its feather on its cap, especially in terms of disaster risk reduction and management, because our team and volunteers have really worked extra hard for us to qualify for this year’s awarding ceremonies. We were surprised to learn from the OCD that we were this year’s champion in effective and efficient disaster risk reduction and management for first to third class municipalities because what we only did was to do our part in DRRM implementation,” Mayor Salda stressed.
For the past two years, La Trinidad had been landing as first runner-up in the Gawad KALASAG awarding ceremonies for first to third class municipalities before snaring the coveted award which has a P500,000 cash prize that should be used to enhance disaster risk reduction management programs and improve DRRM equipment of the locality.
The local chief executive pointed out that the award that the local government received in terms of effective and efficient DRRM will serve as a motivation for the local DRRM council and the volunteers to continue striving for the best in sustaining the realization of zero casualties during the onslaught of natural and man-made calamities in the municipality.
He urged various sectors in the locality to continue extending their utmost support to the local government so that much could be achieved in terms of saving lives and properties from being exposed to danger during the onslaught of natural and man-made calamities that will strike the town in the future.
He assured that the local government will also do its counterpart in ensuring that the local DRRM council will continue to improve in the implementation of its plans and programs to make people living in the 16 barangays disaster resilient to prevent the unnecessary loss of lives and damage to properties during emergency situations.
Mayor Salda stated that the local DRRM office will continue to engage all the stakeholders in the barangay level for them to be updated on the latest policy directions that will be crafted by the national and regional DRRM councils so that they will become empowered residents for a zero casualty scenario in times of natural and man-made calamities that always strike anytime
By HENT