Higher cash prizes at stake in 20th Gawad KALASAG

AS much as P500,000 awaits in this year’s Search for Excellence in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM), and Humanitarian Assistance.

On its 20th year, Ga wad KALASAGremains to be one of the country’s fully institutionalized program that encourages wider participation in promoting DRRM, humanitarian assistance, and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA).

To elevate the quality of this recognition scheme towards more vibrant citizen participation, the National DRRM Council, through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), has updated the guidelines. Some of the important amendments are reorganization of the National Selection Committee, streamlining of categories, and increasing the incentives.

National winners under regional and local DRRMCs category will now receive P500,000 and two (2) other nominees shall receive P200,000. For other categories like Civil Society Organization, volunteer groups, private entities, schools, and hospitals shall receive P300,000 while two (2) nominees for each category will be given P100,000.

Cordillera RDRRMC Chair and OCD-CAR Dir. Andrew Alex Uy said that the search endeavors to promote the spirit of volunteerism among agencies and individuals in providing the much-needed help during the response phase of DRRM.

“Although the NDRRMC pledges to give higher monetary reward for our national winners, may this not be the sole reason to excel in the field. It could be added on the list of our motivations but safety and resilience must top our list of priorities” added Dir. Uy.

Meanwhile, regional winners will receive the same amount from previous years. Aside from the cash prizes that could be spent for DRRM-related programs and activities, winners will also receive plaques of recognition.

The Regional and National Selection Committees for this search are now calling for entries covering 21 major categories and three special recognitions.

Gawad KALASAG, which stands for Kalamidad at SakunaLabanan, SarilingGaling ang Kaligtasan, aims to rec--

ognize higher number of commendable individuals, agencies, and organizations who have exceptional contributions in the field of DRRM and CCA.

Interested entrants are encouraged to submit their entries (hard and soft copies) at their respective OCD Regional offices. To access the criteria, checklists, and guidance notes, you may visit facebook.com/ CivilDefenseCordillera.

Deadline of submission of entries at the regional level is on March 15, 2018.

For more inquiries, OCD Cordillera’s lines are open. You may visit 2nd Floor AFPSLAI Building, Camp Allen, Baguio City and look for Ms. Rachelle Cacas or you may call (074) 444-5289 or 304-2256, and email at civildefense_car@yahoo.com. OCD-CAR Release