THE Amity Volunteer Fire Brigade (AVFB) received Tuesday, February 18, the cash incentive amounting to P300,000 for being the Region 6 Top Winner and Hall of Fame awardee under the Volunteer Organization category of the 21st Gawad Kalasag National Awarding Ceremony at the Philippine International Convention Center in December 2019.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, Councilors Cindy Rojas, Renecito Novero, and Ana Marie Palermo, Executive Assistant Jose Ma. Vargas, and Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Western Visayas and Amity Volunteer Fire Brigade officials witnessed the turnover ceremony that was held at the City Mayor’s Office of the Bacolod City Government Center on February 18.

The cash incentive was turned over by Department of National Defense-Office of Civil Defense (DND)-OCD-Western Visayas director Jose Roberto Nuñez, assisted by OCD–DRRM division chief Ma. Aletha Nogra, to the AVFB, represented by fire chief Mike Gorne, and Negros Occidental Filipino–Chinese Amity Club, Inc. executive vice chairman Roger Yap, corporate secretary Crispin Chua, and honorary chairman Yip Ying Wun.

Leonardia also signed as witness the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the DND, represented by Nuñez, and the AVFB, represented by Gorne.

The AVFB received the top award for three consecutive years and is now a Hall of Fame awardee.

The Gawad Kalasag (KAlamidad at Sakuna LAbanan, SAriling Galing ang Kaligtasan) is organized by the DND-OCD and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. It recognizes exemplary efforts in empowering communities to be capacitated and disaster-resilient.

The Gawad Kalasag is conferred to local government units, civil society organizations, schools, private sectors, hospitals, development centers and individuals who exemplified excellence in disaster risk reduction and management and humanitarian assistance. (PR)