Quezon City has qualified in this year’s search for the country’s best highly urbanized city disaster risk reduction management council, representing the National Capital Region for the Gawad Kalasag award in the national level.
Last December, the city was recognized by the Office of Civil Defense as the best disaster risk reduction management council for highly urbanized cities in the NCR, based on the merit of promoting innovation and excellence on disaster risk reduction management and humanitarian assistance.
Last week, city government officials led by City Administrator Aldrin Cuña welcomed the members of a five-man field validating team formed by the Gawad Kalasag organizing committee to assess the city’s disaster risk reduction and management efforts.
The team saw representatives from the Office of Civil Defense, League of Cities of the Philippines and Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Cuña said Quezon City’s disaster risk reduction and management effort “is a consolidation of some of the best practices adopted by other local government units.”
“Quezon City is far more progressive in disaster risk management and is more pro-active as far as climate change adaptation is concern,” Cuña said.
To date, Cuña said, the city under the administration of Mayor Herbert Bautista, has already spent a lot to acquire and install state-of-the art equipment and technologies to promote human security and strengthen the city’s coping capabilities and resiliency, especially in times of calamities.
The validating team also visited Barangay Sto. Cristo, adjudged as best disaster risk reduction committee in the barangay level for 2016, and the Bistekville housing project at Barangay Kaligayahan.
QC disaster risk reduction management office head Michael Marasigan provided an overview of the city’s various response mechanisms to the validating team, including relief and rehabilitation, engineering interventions, provision for shelter and risk financing.