THE Cagayan de Oro City Government's disaster risk reduction council won top prize in two categories at the Regional Gawad Kalasag 2017 awards during the culminating program at Mallberry Suites Business Hotel on Thursday, August 10, in Cagayan de Oro City.
For four consecutive years, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) was the top for the Search of the Best City Disaster Reduction Council in highly-urbanized category, while the Oro Rescue won the regional search for the Best Government Emergency Management (GEM) in urban category.
The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) recognized Oro Rescue's outstanding performance in providing in efficient and timely response during emergencies and disasters.
The CDRRMC was cited for its "exemplary performance" in the implementation of disaster risk reduction programs in the city.
Initiated by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Gawad Kalasag or "KAlamidad at sakuna LAbanan, SAriling Galing ang Kaligtasan", is done annually to recognize outstanding performances of Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (LDRRMCs), Barangay (BDRRMCs), Civil Society Organizations, educational institutions including Early Learning Centers and Higher Education Institutions, Government Emergency Management or GEM (Basic and Advance), Hospitals, Volunteer Organizations, and Private (Business/Corporate) Organizations.
Also qualified for the awards are individuals who have shown acts of heroism during disasters & emergencies and other major stakeholders that continue to render exemplary contribution in promoting and implementing significant and gender sensitive DRRM-Climate Change Adaptation programs and innovations that build community resiliency in long term.
The city's disaster reduction office was officially made a department last December.
The CDRRMD has three equipped teams serving different functions, namely the Urban Search and Rescue which is composed of three teams, with 15 persons for each team, the Emergency Medical Services composed of six teams with six persons each team, and 13 personnel for the Network Operations Center which dispatch emergency and disaster calls.
The department has over 100 personnel.
Allan Porcadilla, CDDRMD officer-in-charge, had said in a previous interview that its teams can immediately respond to distress calls, like vehicular accidents, fire suppression, flood, mothers who are about to give birth, and even possible terror attacks, in an average of five minutes.