TARLAC took home its 3rd consecutive award as best Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council for Basic Government Emergency Management [GEM] category during the 18th Regional Gawad Kalasag Awarding Ceremony held on October 14 at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center, Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
The annual Gawad KALASAG [Kalamidad at Sakuna Labanan, Sariling Galing ang Kaligtasan] award is given to individuals, non-government organizations, private sector, government organization and major stakeholders, in recognition of their initiative in helping the Philippine government uplift the standard of disaster management in the country.
It aims to recognize the outstanding performance of local disaster risk reduction management, civil society organization and major stakeholders in promoting and implementing significant disaster risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation programs and innovations and the heroic acts of individuals, groups or institutions during natural or human induced disasters.
Governor Susan Yap and Marvin Guiang, PDRRMO Officer-In-Charge received the award from Director Josefina Timoteo of the Office of the Civil Defense Region III.
In a statement, Yap thanked the Regional Risk Reduction Management Council [RDRRMC] Region III selection committee for the recognition and vowed to continue what her brother, former Tarlac governor now second district representative Victor Yap started in modernizing the PDRRMC-Tarlac.
“I thank the RDRRMC’s selection committee for the recognition…also my brother Cong. Vic for the modernization of our PDRRMC and I will continue to equip our DRRMC so that we can able to respond quickly and efficiently in times of emergency and natural or man-made calamities,” the governor said.
Tarlac PDRRMC’s Disaster Assistance and Response Team/Emergency Medical Services [DART/EMS] was chosen by the regional selection committee as the first place winner for GEM category.
Guiang lauded the continued support of Yap to the PDRRMC.
“This is all through the unrelenting support of Gov. Susan and now Cong. Vic to the cause and mandate of our office. I know that this award will inspire us to do better,” Guiang said.
In winning the GEM award for the 3rd consecutive time, PDRRMC-Tarlac was elevated to the region’s hall-of-fame.
Other winners includes, Pampanga as best provincial DRRMC, Olongapo City as best highly urbanized city DRRMC, Cabanatuan City as best DRRMC component city category, Dipaculao as best municipal DRRMC, best Barangay DRRMC for Rural category is Barangay Del Rosario of City of San Fernando, Pampanga, best urban GEM was Olongapo fire and rescue, for best school DRRMC in public rural category is Camp Tinio national High School, best Hospital is Mariveles Mental Hospital and James Gordon for best government owned hospital./ABL-PIO