by: Claro Lanipa
Pagadian City, 16 June (PIA) – The Regional Selection Committee (RSC) for
the yearly search for excellence in disaster risk management and humanitarian
assistance, popularly known as the “Gawad KALASAG” convened recently to discuss
its new guidelines and criteria held at Mardale Hotel, this city.
KALASAG is the acronym for KAlamidad at Sakuna LAbanan,
SAriling Galing ang Kaligtasan. It is a Filipino term for “shield” used by
early Filipinos as a means of protection from attacks of enemies or harmful
animals.
Gawad KALASAG was conceived to encourage participation
of various stakeholders in crafting and implementing Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management (DRRM) programs aimed at protecting or shielding high risk
communities against hazards.
Office of the Civil Defense (OCD 9) Director Adriano
Fuego, chairman of RSC said the search aims to recognize the outstanding
performance of Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (LDRRMCs),
private and volunteer organizations, non-government organizations (NGOs), and
other service providers being major stakeholders in promoting and implementing
significant Disaster Risk Reduction Management and Climate Change Act (DRRM-CCA)
programs and innovations.
Moreover, it also aims to recognize individuals, groups
or institutions that have shown extra ordinary courage, heroism and
self-sacrifice against all odds in times of emergencies, be it natural or
human-induced disasters, Director Fuego added.
Gawad KALASAG for best LDRRMCs covers all provinces,
cities, municipalities, barangays, civil society organizations (CSOs), peoples
organizations (POs), NGOs, private organizations, volunteer organizations,
government emergency response management, schools, hospitals, heroic act of
individuals or groups and special recognition awards to donors and media.
The RSC is composed of the regional directors of OCD as
chairman; Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as vice chairman;
Department of Health (DOH), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of
Social Services and Development (DSWD), Department of Science and Technology
(DOST), National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Philippine Information
Agency (PIA), National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), Philippine National Red
Cross (PNRC) chapter administrator, two civil society organization (CSOs) and a
representative from the private sector
with OCD as secretariat. (CAL/PIA)