ANGELES CITY—The city government has been declared as fully compliant in the 2023 Gawad KALASAG (KAlamidad at Sakuna LAbanan SAriling Galing ang Kaligtasan) Seal and Special Awards for Excellence in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Humanitarian Assistance.
The award was received by Angeles City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (ACDRRMO) Rodolfo Simeon on behalf of Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr., on December 20, 2023 at Fontana Convention Center, Clark Freeport.
This is the second Gawad KALASAG award received by the local government under the leadership of Lazatin.
The last time that this award was achieved by Angeles City was in 2019.
Lazatin said he acknowledges the hardwork of the ACDRRMO headed by Simeon for ensuring that Angeles City is a disaster-prepared city.
It is during the time of Lazatin where flagship programs for disaster were utilized and materialized.
These include the installation Early Warning System (EWaS), improvement of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the Angeles City Emergency Disaster Command Center, inauguration of newly-improved main evacuation center of the city in Barangay Mining, distribution of trauma bags in all barangays and public schools in the city, and daily deployment of ambulances in strategic places to limit the response time to 10-15 minutes.
The Gawad KALASAG covered major categories and special recognitions for government agencies and institutions, local government units, civil society organizations, private sectors, and individuals who have engaged in the promotion of inclusive DRR-Climate Change Adaptation.
The concept of Gawad KALASAG was adopted from the Filipino term for shield, ‘kalasag’, used by early Filipinos as a means of protection from attacks of enemies or harmful animals.
It was established as the country’s premier recognition scheme to various stakeholders that design and implement DRRM programs that protect and shield high risk communities against hazards and render them more capable of addressing their vulnerabilities and coping from disasters.