The Makati City local government was once again cited for its disaster risk reduction initiatives as the city continues to develop new ways in not just protecting the lives of its residents, but also in sharing its disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) efforts with other regions in the country and the world.
In the recently concluded 22nd Gawad Kalasag National Awarding Ceremony at The Manila Hotel, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, together with Makati DRRM Chief Richard Rodriguez, received the Gawad KALASAG (Kalamidad at Sakuna Labanan, Sariling Galing Ang Kaligtasan) Seal of Excellence Award from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
Makati City has achieved a rating of 2.58 in the Gawad Kalasag Seal for Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils and Offices (LDRRMCOs) Category for 2022.
According to the NDRRMC, the city was ranked based on the following pillars: Structure (8 indicators), Competency (14 indicators), Management Systems (3 indicators), Enabling Policies (1 indicator), Knowledge Management and Advocacy (2 indicators), and Partnership and Participation (2 indicators).
After being proclaimed as the country’s first Resilience Hub by the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) during its International Disaster Resilience Leaders Forum in Incheon, South Korea, Makati Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (DRRMO) Research and Planning Division Head Liza Ramos disclosed the city’s disaster response and management programs, including the plan to build the DRR academy.
“We are committed to sharing our disaster risk reduction practices within the Philippines, the region, and beyond. We will do this through our knowledge portals, city-to-city cooperation. We are also opening a DRR academy to support capacity-building,” Ramos said.
Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction Mami Mizutori also praised the city government for its DRR methods and Covid-19 response.
“The city has been a longstanding leader on disaster risk reduction and has continued to demonstrate this leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic. Makati’s success will be a great example for other cities,” Mizutori said.
The UNDRR defines resilience hubs as cities, municipalities, or local authorities that have political and technical commitment to take actions to address disaster and climate risks.
The city government also launched a Family and Community Resilience Fair in October where the it presented its disaster response equipment and techniques to the community. It also assured the public that the city is prepared to respond to any natural calamity. The fair also consisted of an Early Warning System (EWS) Showcase and the Palarong Panghanda.
The EWS Showcase demonstrated the end-to-end, impact-based Early Warning System in coordination with national government agencies to city and barangay responders, to the community.
Meanwhile, the Palarong Panghanda featured booths where games were held aimed at raising awareness and build capacity through experiential fun-filled activities.