TACLOBAN CITY –At least 29 local government units in the region are to receive the Gawad Kalasag (KAlamidad at Sakuna LAbanan, SAriling Galing ang Kaligtasan) recognition from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
Three of the LGUs will receive the “beyond complaint” award – which is the highest rating for excellence from the NDRRMC, while the other 26 are recognized as “fully complaint.”
The three beyond complaint LGUs awardees are Can-avid in Eastern Samar, Catarman in Northern Samar, and the province of Southern Leyte.
Fully complaint LGUs are Arteche, Balangiga, General McArthur, Guiuan, and Maydolong in Eastern Samar; Tabango and San Miguel in Leyte; Ormoc City; Gamay, Laoang, Lope de Vega, Palapag, San Antonio, and San Roque in Northern Samar; Marabut and Tarangnan in Samar; Bontoc, Liloan, Limasawa, Macrohon, Padre Burgos, Pintuyan, Silago, Sogod, Hinundayan, and Maasin City in Southern Leyte; and the provinces of Northern Samar, and Samar.
The number of awardees from the region for this year was higher compared to last year’s eight.
In 2022, awardees were Northern Samar and Southern Leyte provinces, and the towns of San Roque, Northern Samar; Can-avid and Balangiga in Eastern Samar; Ormoc City, Tabango, all in Leyte; and Hinundayan, Southern Leyte.
The Gawad Kalasag is an annual national search for excellence in disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) and humanitarian assistance.
It recognizes various stakeholders who promote and implement disaster risk reduction and management, climate change adaptation, and humanitarian assistance program to protect high-risk communities from the effect of extreme hazards from natural calamities, disasters, and man-made emergencies and capacitate them to address their vulnerabilities.
Recipients of the beyond complaint and fully complaint are to receive funding assistance for the implementation of their chosen DRRM projects.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
