The municipality of New Bataan was recently hailed as the region’s Gawad Kalasag awardee, no disaster event municipal level category.
New Bataan Information Officer Celso Casia disclosed that Office of Civil Defense XI conferred New Bataan to be the outstanding among the municipalities in the region in disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM), no disaster event category.
Casia said that one of their distinct qualities is institutionalization of their Municipal DRRM Office with eight filled-up plantilla positions and 24 job orders and volunteers.
He added that their office is open 24/7 for emergency response operations and have been disseminating weather forecast from the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration to the barangay officials twice a day.
Casia, who is also the MDRRMO training officer, emphasized that their office established a specialized community-based DRRM capability building.
He said that the five-day training includes lectures and workshops on the Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine DRRM Act of 2010, emergency medical, search and rescue, early warning system, rapid damage assessment and needs analysis (RDANA), evacuation center management, relief distribution, standard first and fire suppression.
Four of the town’s barangays have undergone the said trainings. These are Pagsabangan, Panag, Fatima and Cabinuangan.
Casia also stressed of their strengthened partnership with the non-government organizations and businessperson, as well as, with the Department of Education.
He said that they have already acquired memorandum of understanding with a number of businesses in their locality for extending assistance during disaster.
Casia also boasted that their barangay DRRM officers have created a federation, which meets monthly for updating.
He added that 12 out of 16 barangays have an established barangay DRRM office. (PIA11, Michael Uy)
