| La
Union’s Disaster Management Program: The Best in RP
 |
The
much coveted Kalasag Award Governor Ortega's 1st ever
award as Provincial Chief. |
The
Province of La Union earned another feather in its cap through
the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council, when it received
the Gawad Kalasag (Kalamidad at Sakuna Labanan, Sariling Galing
ang Kaligtasan) as the Best Provincial Disaster Coordinating
Council nationwide during the awarding ceremonies at the in
Malacañan Palace relative to the observance of the
National Disaster Consciousness Month.
La Union was given the national recognition for its laudable
performance and achievement in unifying all sectors and stakeholders
in the province for effectively implementing an integrated
and sustainable disaster risk management program for the safety
and welfare of its constituents. This feat is attributed to
the province’s improved and viable disaster workplan
and proactive disaster coordinating council from the provincial
level down to the municipal and barangay levels.
Created
in 1992 for the purpose of coordinating disaster prevention
and response measures provincewide, the Provincial Disaster
Coordinating Council is now a well-established network of
government line agencies, NGOs, private sector, media and
well-trained community-based action teams. Community-based
disaster preparedness trainings, basic disaster management,
search and rescue operations, life support services, earthquake
drills, fire prevention and other controls against natural
and man-made calamities are regularly conducted through partnership
with various line agencies. All these and other coordinated
efforts among local DCCs have prepared the province better
in times of calamities as can be gleaned from the minimal
damages due to the drought and casualties due to typhoons
in the past.
The
province has highly commendable achievements in interfacing
all disaster management components in the formulation of the
policies and operating procedures, provision of effective
and efficient resource mobilization, and in the completion
of contingency plans enriched with researched-based hazard
assessment undertaken through interactive and action-oriented
methodologies. Such activities have empowered the people of
the province to become active change agents in preparing and
responding to emergencies and/or disasters.
The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office remains
as the Central Operations, Relief and Rescue Center of the
PDCC with newly-elected Board Member Victoria L. Aragon, Committee
Chairman on Disaster Preparedness and Management and Relief
Services, as the Executive Action Officer. (Arthur S. Cortez
Jr.)
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