Santa Marcela LGU conferred with 2024 Gawad Kalasag Excellence Award by RDRRMC

Santa Marcela, Apayao – The Local Government Unit of Santa Marcela has earned the prestigious Gawad Kalasag Excellence Award as ‘’Fully Compliant Awardee’’ in the region, for its efficient emergency response during calamities.

The LGU is among the 55 fully compliant awardees in CAR for this 24th Gawad KALASAG Seal and Special Awards for Excellence in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Humanitarian Assistance for the Local DRRM Councils and Offices category.

The award was announced by the RDRRMC on Wednesday, following the conduct of a series of desk evaluation on 5 June to July 2024, using the prescribed GAWAD KALASAG Guidelines checklist by the Regional Validation Committee (RVC). The RVC was composed of Highly competitive technical experts.

LDRRM Chair Mayor Evelyn B. Martinez said the recognition is a proof that the LGU workforce and stakeholders are united in working together towards protecting and saving lives during calamities and disasters.

Martinez encouraged DRRM personnel to incessantly promote and implement disaster risk reduction and management, climate change adaptation, and humanitarian assistance programs that protect and shield high risk communities against extreme hazards and perform their best in addressing the needs of the people.

Mayor Martinez lauded the DRRM personnel for their unwavering dedication and commitment, encouraging them not be complacent but rather strengthen their disaster prevention and mitigation, disaster preparedness, disaster response, and disaster recovery and rehabilitation to ensure disaster resiliency among the townspeople.

The Gawad KALASAG (Kalamidad at Sakuna Labanan, Sariling Galing ang Kaligtasan) Seal for excellence is the country's recognition and award scheme for LGUs and various stakeholders serves as mechanism to obtain sustained commitment and support by recognizing the exceptional contributions of DRRM practitioners in strengthening the resilience and adaptive capacities of communities against disaster risks.