Congress lauds San Francisco for UN award

CEBU, Philippines - The House of Representatives has passed a resolution commending the Municipality of San Francisco of Cebu’s Camotes group of islands for winning the 2011 United Nations Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Fifth District Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano VI introduced House Resolution No.1321 citing that the award San Francisco received gives honor not only to the town but also to the Province of Cebu and to the country, being an international contest with distinguished and impartial jurors.

The award was given because of the municipality’s diligence in training its people for disaster risk reduction.

Durano also called on the Department of Interior and Local Government and all concerned government agencies to continue disseminating the Disaster Risk Reduction Trainings and Programs to towns, not only for the sake of getting an award but for its benefits for the people.

For winning the award, San Francisco will receive a grant of $50,000 (P2.1 million) which will be used for the town’s Two Million Trees project.

The project aims to rehabilitate the watershed of the town and support the town’s Food for Work project.

The Sasakawa Award “is a symbol of excellence and outstanding achievement in environmental inspiration and action,” said the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) that gave out the prize to give awardees “prestige, publicity and financial support.”

Also, San Francisco is the 2009 and 2010 recipient of Cebu province’s Expanded Green and Wholesome Environment that Nurtures (E-GWEN) award because of its proper solidwaste management.

Aside from the World Health Organization Sasakawa Health Prize and the UNEP Sasakawa Environment Prize, the United Nations Sasakawa Award for Disaster Reduction is one of three prestigious prizes established in 1986 by Ryoichi Sasakawa, the founding chairman of the Nippon Foundation. (FREEMAN)