MANILA, Philippines - A public elementary school in Negros Occidental won second place in the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO)-Japan Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Award which gives recognition to schools that have put in place educational activities to reduce risk and loss from natural disasters.
The Iliranan Elementary School in Barangay Codcod, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental where some 439 students and 15 teachers from kindergarten to Grade 6 participated under principal Gary Magnanao, won the SEAMEO-ESD Award for their IDEP or the Iliranan Disaster Education Programme and SCAPED–School and Community Always Prepared and Equipped for Disaster.
The two programs bested some 70 entries from South East Asia including 17 other contenders from the Philippines in the search which carries the theme “Education for Disaster Risk Reduction.”
Education Secretary Armin Luistro said the honor was shared by all Philippine schools which make emergency response drill part of their school activity.
“We have always emphasized that conducting an emergency response drill is not just a matter of compliance but an activity to be taken seriously to save lives and limbs,” Luistro stressed.
The SEAMEO and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan in cooperation with UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education and the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. have sent words of congratulations to all awardees and schools that participated in the awards.
The first placer is State High School No. 1 of Kungyangon, Myanmar and third place went to MIN Jejeran (Jejeran State Islamic Elementary School) of Indonesia. A special prize from the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. for the best Disaster Risk Reduction activity carried out in small schools of less than 150 students went to Wat Soumpouathong School, Thailand.