Kalibo bags Gawad Kalasag awards

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

Kalibo mayor William Lachica receives the Gawad Kalasag award with
Kalibo DILG officer Maricel Bechayda and Civil Defense officer
Terence June Toriano from OCD-6 regional director Rosario
Cabrera / PHOTO BY MJ JIZMUNDO

Kalibo’s Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) was adjudged as the Best Municipal DRRMC for first to third class towns in Western Visayas. 

Kalibo mayor William Lachica received the Gawad Kalasag award from Office of Civil Defense regional director and chairperson of Regional DRRM Council Rosario Cabrera.

Kalibo MDRRMC has set itself apart from other disaster council units with its commitment on relief  and rescue operations, recovery and risk reduction efforts following the devastation of super typhoon Yolanda in the region. 

Gawad Kalasag, which stands for Kalamidad at Sakuna Labanan Sariling Galing ang Kaligtasan, is an annual award which recognizes the outstanding performance of private/volunteer organizations, individuals, non-government organizations, private sector and government organization for their disaster risk management and humanitarian response and assistance to affected communities.

It was conceived in 1988 to guard high risk communities against the hazards by encouraging stakeholders in designing and implementing Disaster Risk Management programs.

Apart from Kalibo MDRRMC, the Office of Civil Defense-6 also awarded the province of Aklan as the 2013 Gawad Kalasag third place awardee for Best Provincial DRRMC and 611th Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary Squadron for Best Volunteer Organization. 

The other winners from Aklan were Abante Aklan for Best Civil Society Organization and Kalibo Special Operations Unit as second placer in Best Government Emergency Response Management (Basic Search and Rescue Category) during the Gawad Kalasag and the Pagpasalamat ag Pagpakigbuylog in MO2 Westown Hotel in Iloilo City. 

The town of Balete was also awarded second place in the Best Municipal DRRMC (4th to 6th class category).