DSWD-7 recognizes outstanding LGUs, individuals on disaster operations

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas has recognized the outstanding support and efforts of selected local government units and individuals in disaster preparedness and response.

This as it held its first-ever disaster response conference throughout the month of September with the theme, “Improving Capability for Disaster Operations at the Local Level”.

The activity was attended by the local social welfare and development officers and local disaster risk reduction and management officers in Central Visayas.

The activity aimed to identify the issues, concerns, and recommendations on the policies and program on disaster response operations based on the results of the Gawad Kalasag assessment, tackled the challenges of the LSWDOs and LDRRMOs, found possible solutions, and knew the updates and guidance from the cluster leads.

In Cebu Province, Lapu-Lapu City received the Most Responsive Mechanism on Inter-island Operations Award; Mandaue City for LGU with High Resource Capability Award; Danao City for the Most Impressive Management of Locally Stranded Individuals Award and Good Practice in Management of Local Water Resources for Disaster Operations Award; City of Naga for the Most Sustained Databasing of the Administered Disaster Assistance Family Access Card (DAFAC) Award; and Talisay City for the Most Impressive Efforts on Camp Coordination and Camp Management and Internally Displaced Persons’ Protection (CCCM and IDP Protection).

For individual awardees, the Most Impressive Camp Coordinator Award was given to Felipa T. Solana; the Most Active Volunteer on Food Packing Award to Eduardo Jarina; the Most Active Volunteer Resource Person on CCCM and IDP Protection Training Award to Eliseo G. Rapana.

In Bohol Province, Local Government Unit with High Resource Capability is Tagbilaran City; the Most Impressive Local Government Unit on Management of Pre-emptive Evacuation is the Municipality of Candijay; the Most Responsive Local Government Unit in the Prepositioning of DSWD's Food and Non-Food Items is the Municipality of Loboc; the Most Impressive Local Government Unit on Disaster Response Data Management is the Municipality of Candijay; the Local Government Unit with Impressive Efforts in the Implementation of the Humanitarian Cash Transfer Plus Program and Pilot Testing of the E-DAFAC Information System in Partnership with UNICEF is the Municipality of Bilar; and the Efficient and Strategic Prepositioning of Emergency Response Resources is the Province of Bohol.

For individual awardees, the Most Impressive Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer is Jeryl L. Fuentes; and the Most Active Volunteer Resource Person on CCCM and IDP Protection Training is Flen D. Maquiling.

In Negros Oriental Province, the Local Government Unit with High Resource Capability on Disaster Preparedness for Response is the Municipality of Mabinay; the Good Practice in the Management of Portable Clean Water Distribution for Disaster Operations is the City of Canlaon; the Most Impressive Response Initiatives and Emergency Operations Center is the City of Bayawan; and the Most Impressive Efforts on Camp Coordination and Camp Management and Internally Displaced Person Protection is Bais City.

The Municipality of Siquijor in the Province of Siquijor was awarded as the Most Responsive Local Government Unit in the Prepositioning of DSWD's Food and Non-Food Items.

These awardees, DSWD-7 said, were carefully deliberated by key Disaster Response Cluster member agencies through the Gawad Kalasag Assessment result.

Aside from the LSWDOs and LDRRMOs, the conference was attended by members of the Disaster Response Cluster to promote and encourage engagement with LGU partners to strengthen relationships and foster good communication, which would help improve the delivery of augmentation support during disaster preparation, operations, and early recovery. — (FREEMAN)