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As proof of efficiency through its proactive approach to disaster risk governance, the City of Koronadal’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) was recently hailed as SOCCSKSARGEN’s first place winner in the 2014 Regional Gawad KALASAG Search and consequently named as the region’s bet in the 2015 national level search. Chosen by the Regional Selection and Evaluation Committee, three national evaluators visited the city last February 26-27, 2015 and conducted a two-day evaluation assessment. “We are overwhelmed with your warm hospitality, if you will be rated in that area, definitely you’ll get very high score”, national evaluator Carlo Cañares said. “We have evaluated your program policies and strategies and conducted an ocular visit on these three sites to include; B/ Carpenter Hill, Acub Resettlement site, and the Tree Growing site at B/Assumption to assess the disaster preparedness of the said barangays”, Cañares added. “In our assessment, we focused on the prevention and mitigation aspects. Our criteria included prevention and mitigation with 35 points, preparedness with 30 points, response with 20 points and 15 points for recovery and rehabilitation“, Cañares cited. Also, he explained that the prevention and mitigation criteria covered the risk assessment, plans, policies, and budget, early warning system, risk financing, environmental management, and infrastructure resilience, while the preparedness criterion included the mainstreaming of DRRM programs and projects, DRRMC organization, approved plans, capacity development activities conducted, and partnership mechanisms. Also Cañares cited an example on how plans and programs were being evaluated. “Like for example, in your hazard prone areas where drainage flooding is the problem, we evaluated your preparedness through the existing infrastructure, the availability of early warning signs, the plans and policies including the water flooding management through your alliances with the other municipality considering that Koronadal is a basin”, Cañares said. Meanwhile, in a media interview, when asked about their initial assessment, one of the national evaluators, Marlon Obligado said, “The CDRMMC responded well and was able to provide us with relevant information especially on the phase of prevention & mitigation.” Further he said,” We have seen how your city manages to provide mitigation measures, how the city is prepared to handle an emergency through your evacuation plans & preparedness activities”. Obligado also explained that from the old plan, about 5 years ago, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (NDRRMP) fulfilled the requirement of RA No. 10121 of 2010. With the said law, there was a paradigm shift from reactive to proactive DRRM. According to him, the new plan ensured that men and women had increased their awareness and understanding of DRRM, with the end in view of increasing people’s resilience and decreasing their vulnerabilities. Further, he cited the four thematic areas of focus in the conduct of evaluation, namely, Disaster Prevention and Mitigation; Disaster Preparedness; Disaster Response; and Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery, geared towards a safer, adaptive and disaster resilient Filipino communities towards sustainable development. “At present Koronadal’s CDRMM plan is integrated in the City’s Development Plan (CDP) and our challenge to your city is to create a separate long-term plan that will facilitate the development of a well-prepared, independent, conscientious citizenry against disasters”,Obligado said. “What is good in your city is you have the climate adaptation initiatives and through your partnership and coordination among all key players and stakeholders, I believe you would be able to come up with a more reliable assessment, including climate change-induced hazards for an enhanced ecological profile”, Obligado further said. On the other hand, the evaluators also gave their recommendation to include the formulation of a strategic and long-term plan that would address all phases of disaster management: prevention, preparation, response and recovery. ”I suggest for an institutionalized arrangement and measures for reducing disaster risk and an office manned by permanent personnel”. When asked about the city’s advantage compared to other competing CDRMMC, Obligado said “Koronadal has its clear direction and advocacy”.It is important that the government understands the importance of strengthening its capacity to combat, prevent and manage disaster”, he further said. The 2015 Search for Excellence in Disaster Risk Management and Humanitarian Assistance under the Gawad KALASAG is a special annual project conducted by the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) to recognize exceptional contributions of Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) practitioners in implementing an effective disaster and risk reduction management program to include among others: stakeholders’ participation, transparency, innovativeness, partnership, self-reliance, and the spirit of volunteerism. The ‘Gawad Kalasag’ (Kalamidad at Sakuna LAban, Sariling Galing ang Kaligtasan) award is given to individuals, non-government organizations, private sector and government organizations, in recognition of their initiative in helping the Filipino government uplift the standard of disaster management in the country.
source: Koronadal City
