The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has conferred a posthumous recognition to five rescuers of the Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) who drowned while in the line of duty during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Karding, it announced Saturday, Oct. 1.
Undersecretary Raymundo Ferrer, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Administrator and NDRRMC Executive Director, presented the “Bakas Parangal ng Kagitingan” to the families of George Agustin, Troy Justin Agustin, Marby Bartolome, Jerson Resurrecion, and Narciso Calayag Jr. during a tribute ceremony dubbed as “Luksang Parangal Para sa Mga Yumaong Lingkod Bayan” at the Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium in Malolos, Bulacan on Friday, Sept. 30.
“Bulacan is called the Land of the Heroes. I believe that this is proven true by our rescuers. I hope that the heroism they exemplified will be a good example and emulated by our youth,” Ferrer said.
Bakas Parangal ng Kagitingan is one of the most prestigious recognitions bestowed by the NDRRMC to individuals who “exhibited extraordinary acts of bravery by extending assistance to those in need in times of disaster beyond the call of duty.”
Aside from a plaque and certificate, Ferrer also turned over cash assistance to each of the fallen heroes’ families.
Last Sept. 26, the five rescuers were dispatched to San Miguel, Bulacan to rescue flooded residents at the height of the typhoon.
Along the way, a concrete fence collapsed on their rescue boat which led to their drowning. Their bodies were recovered the following day.
Four of them – the two Agustins, Bartolome, and Calayag – will be buried on Saturday in their respective hometowns while Resurrecion will be laid to rest in Sta. Maria town on Sunday.