July is “National Disaster Consciousness Month”
By: Minerva BC Newman
CENTRAL VISAYAS , July 01 (PIA) --- July is “National Disaster Consciousness Month,” (NDCM) based on executive order 137 dated August 10, 1999.
For this year the theme is “Makialam, Makiisa. Sa Pagsugpo sa Panganib may Maitutulong ka.»
According to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD-7) the theme enjoins the community to take a pro-active role in disaster risk reduction and management.
In a meeting with the technical working group of the Regional Disaster Risk reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) recently, OCD-7 assistant regional director Welino Gubuan called on all the national and local government agencies and the private sector to show their pro-active support by actively participating in all activities for the month.
Gubuan also asked the public sector employees to participate in the various activities on disaster risk reduction for a prepared population geared towards a safer nation.
To kick off today’s celebration of NDCM, a group of bikers and other stakeholders will bike for fun and health from the Central Command Headquarters in Camp Lapulapu , Barangay Apas going to Osmeña Boulevard to the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) for the press conference.
The media is also invited to cover the mass casualty incident demonstration at the DOH grounds as a way of showing the public how ready the doctors and other responders are in cases of emergency and or disasters.
According to OCD-7, the first week of July (July 1-9) the Philippine Information Agency (PIA-7) will schedule the members of the RDRRMC to a series of radio and TV guesting and interviews.
The 2nd week, July 18-22 will schedule also a series of provincial activities that include BLS-CPR demonstrations in malls in Bohol, Negros Oriental and in Cebu .
Gubuan said, he also expects the provincial DRRMC to hold local disaster risk reduction forums, disaster preparedness drills and simulation exercises and other creative activities that will encourage people to participate and be counted.
By the last week of July (July 25-29), DOH-7 and OCD-7 will conduct a-two-day training for the members of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) to formulate and design a unified DRRM module that will serve as the manual of operations for the council.
Gubuan said that some NDCM-related activities may include the display of streamers with the theme; film showing and photo exhibit; symposia and forums on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation; tree planting and preparedness drill, among others.
Lastly, the RDRRMC-7 encourages all stakeholders to be more creative in their planning and conduct of activities that best relate to this year’s observance, thrusts and principles of DRRM in accordance to the new republic Act 10121 and the newly approved NDRRM framework. (PIA-7)
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Search for “Ulirang Nakatatanda 2011” is now open
by: Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, June 30 (PIA) --- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in cooperation with the Coalition of Services of the Elderly, Inc (COSE) starts the search for “Ulirang Nakatatanda 2011,” in celebration of the Older Persons Week on the first week of October 2011.
Nominees must be 60 years old above; not multi-awarded and not well-known; have rendered their lives for the service of other people without expecting anything in return.
They must be nominated by an organization, community or groups whom they served; and not by family members or relatives.
Winners will be chosen from virtually every sector of the country such as urban poor, farmers, indigenous communities, older people themselves with a sprinkling of religious groups.
On October 2, 2011, COSE will give awards to ten (10) outstanding older persons in the Philippines. This is to recognize the important contributions and services of older persons in society.
In the past, older persons from the farmer, women, disabled sectors and tribal communities were chosen as outstanding elderly.
They were ordinary older persons who one way or another rendered exemplary service to other people.
Nominations can be sent by e-mail (cose@cosephil.org) or postal service to Coalition of Services of the Elderly, Inc. Mezzanine Floor, Mariwasa Bldg., 717 Aurora Blvd., Quezon City.
Deadline of nomination will be on August 15, 2011.(PIA-7/HFG)