Quezon City was recently adjudged the best disaster risk reduction management council among highly-urbanized cities in Metro Manila.
The Metro Manila Risk Reduction and Management Council conferred the Gawad Kalasag to the city, with City Administrator Aldrin C. Cuña representing Mayor Herbert Bautista during the awarding ceremony held last Friday at the Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila.
In accepting the award, Cuña said the Gawad Kalasag “shall serve as a challenge for Quezon City to step up its efforts in promoting human security and in the strengthening the city’s coping capabilities and resiliency, especially in times of calamities.”
“Our next goal is to get the national award,” Cuña said, who also received a plaque of recognition and a check for P100,000 for the city.
QC’s Department of Public Order and Safety was also named the second-best government emergency management team in the urban category, while Barangay Sto. Cristo was named as having the best disaster risk reduction committee in the barangay level.
Melencio M. Castelo Elementary School along Batasan Road likewise bagged top honors among public schools in the region.
Office of Civil Defense Regional Director Susana Cruz, Department of the Interior and Local Government Regional Director Ma. Lourdes Agustin and Manuel Gonzales of the Metro Manila Development Authority handed out the awards.
In 2015, the QC DRRMC ranked first in the search for best emergency management in urban search and rescue, and third in the Gawad Kalasag’s search for excellence in disaster risk management and humanitarian assistance in the National Capital Region.
The city’s disaster risk reduction and management effort has also been expanded to help other local governments rebuild and recover from calamities.
In his last State of the City Address, Bautista noted the city government has already provided P52.55 million for the repair and restoration of some damaged government buildings or structures, including health centers, schools and barangay halls.