DAGUPAN RECEIVES AWARD FOR EXCEPTIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT

DAGUPAN CITY – Another award was received by the city of Dagupan three days after it received an award   from the Department of Social Welfare and Development  (DSWD)  last February 12 for having the Most Functional City Advisory Council of 4Ps in Region 1.

The new award presented during a program after the flag-raising ceremony at the city plaza on Monday came from the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) in Region 1 in recognition of the city’s exceptional disaster risk reduction preparedness.

This is the Gawad Kalasag Exceptional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service Award won by the city last December 4, 2015 at Hotel Ariana in Bauang, La Union in an award ceremony presided over by Melchito M. Castro, Regional Director, Office of the National Defense and chairperson of RDRRMC 1.

The award was presented to Mayor Belen T. Fernandez by City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) head Ronaldo De Guzman who earlier received the award from RDRRMC.

The award was in recognition of the city’s exemplary actions and unprecedented support in Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery promoting DRRM (Disaster Risk Reduction and Management) at its optimum especially in extending help and assistance to the affected villages during the onslaught of the past typhoons despite the adversities of various disaster operations.

The award meant that the city never faltered to respond to the call of public service in attaining the optimum goal of saving lives and properties and that Mayor Fernandez never stopped in increasing the city’s preparedness through the upgrading of the city’s DRRM equipment and knowledge towards the realization of a safer, adaptive and disaster resilient community.

At present the CDRRMO is equipped with two rescue trucks, one tanker fire truck, one ambulance, one 10-wheeler dump truck, one backhoe, one dewatering pump, four barracuda rescue boats with outboard motors, and two generator sets.

De Guzman disclosed that the other equipment which are due for delivery are one six wheeler water truck, one pay loader, four portable generator sets, six chainsaws and four portable water pumps. (Joseph C. Bacani/CIO/Feb. 15, 2016)