BONTOC, Mountain Province – The province is one of the three finalists in the 2019 Gawad Kalamidad at Sakuna ay Labanan, Sariling Galing ang Kaligtasan (KALASAG) national search following the aggressive implementation of disaster risk reduction and management programs, projects and activities that have improved the provincial government’s performance in one of the major aspects of risk reduction and management.
Gov. Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr. said that a team of experts from concerned government agencies already completed their assessment on the province’s disaster risk reduction and management programs, projects and activities after Mountain Province was adjudged as one of the three finalists for the annual search, thus, concerned sectors are keeping their fingers crossed that the province will be able to bring home the bacon for this year.
“We are elated that our efforts to significantly improve our disaster risk reduction and management programs continue to pay off. We hope that we will do better this time so that it will serve as inspiration and motivation for other similarly situated provinces to strive for the best in such aspect of governance,” Gov. Lacwasan stressed.
In 2017, Mountain Province landed in third place in the Gawad KALASAG national search that paved the way for their being provided the appropriate plaque of recognition and cash award of P50,000 for the said finish.
Lacwasan said that the province’s fete in disaster risk reduction and management is a collective effort of concerned stakeholders who contributed their time, effort and resources in working out the needed improvement in the provincial government’s programs, projects and activities that allowed it to be adjudged as one of the three finalists for the annual search being conducted by the office of Civil defense and the National disaster risk Reduction and Management Council.
Aside from Mountain Province, the other finalists for the Gawad KALASAG national search are Quirino and Sorsogon.
According to him, despite the province’s meager resources being one of the provinces in the country with low income, Mountain Province is able to prove that it could achieve significant gains in effective and efficient disaster risk reduction and management with the overwhelming support of concerned stakeholders.
Under the provisions of Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, all local governments are mandated o appropriate at least 5 percent of their annual budget for the implementation of their disaster risk reduction and management programs, projects and activities that will contained in short, medium and long-term local disaster risk reduction and management plan. Of the said appropriation, 70 percent shall be used for disaster preparedness and mitigation programs, projects and activities while the remaining 30 percent will serve as quick response fund to cater to the needs of the people during emergency situations or during the wrath of natural and man-made calamities.
Lacwasan wished the province the best of luck for the said search, especially that mountain Province is being feted against much bigger provinces that have much bigger resources.
By HENT
