Despite the recent challenges recently faced by the San Pedro City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) in the past months, the local department can attest that its efforts to become “Una sa Kaligtasan” in the province of Laguna is already reaping its benefits.
This was shown not only in the prompt response of the CDRRMO in the various emergencies in the city in the past weeks, but also in the recognitions it receives from national government agencies.
Recently, the city government under Mayor Art Mercado once again received the 2024 Gawad Kalasag Award, which recognizes the LGU’s “unwavering commitment to disaster risk reduction, resilience, and preparedness.”
The Gawad Kalasag (KAlamidad at Sakuna LAbanan, SAriling Galing ang Kaligtasan) is an award given by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to local government units for their initiatives and programs on disaster risk reduction and management.
3rd consecutive award
This is the third consecutive Gawad Kalasag Award received by the city government of San Pedro, Nico Pavino, head of the San Pedro City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), said in an interview with OpinYon Laguna.
And once again, the San Pedro City LGU was ranked as “Beyond Compliant” with an assessment rating of 2.85 out of 3.0 points, the local DRRMO chief added.
"Ang criteria po [ng NDRRMC] sa Gawad Kalasag ay naka-angkla sa pagpapatupad ng Republic Act No. 10121, o ang The Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010. Ang batas po na ito ay ang 'bible' ng mga DRRMOs sa buong bansa upang maipatupad ang kanilang mga mandato, which is what our office has been doing since Mayor Art took over," Pavino explained.
"At hindi lang po tayo ginawaran ng 'Beyond Compliant' rating, ang San Pedro po ay kasama sa top five cities in the Philippines when it comes to city disaster risk reduction and management," he added.
But more than simply the honor given to the city government of San Pedro, Pavino said the Gawad Kalasag Award is proof that the LGU's DRRM programs and projects are on the right track.
"[The Gawad Kalasag Award] is a statement, an assurance, that San Pedro City is a resilient and safe city – safe tumira, safe magnegosyo, safe magtrabaho,” Pavino stressed.
It goes without saying, of course, that the support of the LGU is paramount in ensuring that the local DRRMO can fulfill its mandate.
“Masaya naman kami na si Mayor Art Mercado, as chairman ng ating City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee, ay napaka-supportive sa ating mga initiatives for our office,” Pavino said.
Programs and projects
Speaking of which, what projects and programs have convinced national authorities that the San Pedro City government has gone “above and beyond” in preparing itself against the threat of various calamities?
Of course, chief among these projects is the new “state-of-the-art” Command Center of the CDRRMO in Barangay Poblacion that was opened last April 2024, as well as new safety equipment and vehicles that enabled the city government to provide assistance to those affected by the typhoons that hit Laguna province last year.
These new equipment and facilities have helped the San Pedro CDRRMO to raise its standards and improve its response services, Pavino pointed out.
"Nag-i-innovate po kami ng mga programa upang makuha ang attention ng mga target audience namin, and siyempre as years go by, itinataas natin ang mga target natin," he explained.
“For instance, dati ang target nating response time sa anumang kalamidad ay around 30 minutes, for the next year, sinisikap nating mas mapaikli pa iyon. Through putting up different substations and adding our human resources, as well as spearheading different communication and information campaigns, we hope na mas mapabilis pa ang ating response time.”
Community involvement
Most recently, starting with the distribution of "Go Bags" or emergency kits to the various local departments inside the San Pedro City Hall, the local DRRMO is now aiming to instill a “culture of safety” where all San Pedrenses can be counted on to be prepared for calamities.
“Ang kalaban talaga natin dito ay yung ‘apathy’ ng komunidad, lalo na pagdating sa information campaign – madalas wala silang pakialam o interes man lamang pagdating sa disaster preparedness,” was Pavino’s observation.
“So we try to make the topics as interesting as possible para manatili sila at matuto. At minsan nagpapa-raffle pa kami ng, let’s say, first-aid kits para naman ganahan sila na matutunan ang paggamit ng mga ito sa panahon ng kalamidad.”
The San Pedro CDRRMO has also intensified its “Barangay-based DRRMO” program to ensure that barangay officials can effectively respond on their own to emergency situations.
“In fact, we're already pushing our barangays to formulate their disaster plans, especially dahil mag-e-expire na this year ang mga current plans nila. So kami ang nag-a-assist sa kanila para mag-formulate ng mga bagong plano, at doon din natin makikita kung ano pa ang pwede nating ma-improve sa kanilang pagpaplano sa mga sakuna,” he stressed.
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