E. B. Magalona wins national Gawad KALASAG award 

Mayor Marvin Malacon, chair of the Local Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (LMDRRMC), holds the certificate of recognition for E. B. Magalona after winning the regional award for 2021 Gawad KALASAG. The mayor poses with members of the LDRRMC in front of the MDRRM Office last year. (EBM PIO file photo)

BACOLOD City – The Municipality of E.B. Magalona, Negros Occidental, through its Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) and MDRRM Office, is one of the national awardees of the 2022 Gawad KALASAG Seal for Excellence in DRRM and Humanitarian Assistance.

A  press statement furnished the local media here said that E. B. Magalona will receive the GK Seal for being a Fully Compliant LGU awardee, during the 22nd GK National Awarding Ceremony that will be done virtually.

The date is yet to be announced.

Mayor Marvin Malacon, who chairs the Local MDRRM Council, congratulated the MDRRM Office, headed by Mary Angeline Gustilo, and thanked the MDRRM Council for working together in making the Municipality “fully compliant” with the guidelines and criteria set by the National DRRM Council.

“Your hard work and selflessness in helping our fellow Saraviahanons in times of disasters did not go unnoticed. Your brand of service is what put the Municipality of E. B. Magalona in the roster of excellent LGUs in the country in terms of disaster risk reduction and management,” Malacon told the members of MDRRM Council and personnel of MDRRM Office.

KALASAG, a term for “shield” used by early Filipinos to protect them from the attacks of enemies, also stands for “KAlamidad at Sakuna LAbanan, SAriling Galing ang Kaligtasan.”

Gawad KALASAG, or GK, serves as the country’s recognition and award scheme for LGUs and other stakeholders that promote disaster risk reduction and management scheme.

The list of awardees was posted by the Office of the Civil Defense on its Facebook page Tuesday [Nov. 8].

It said, “the NDRRMC, thru the National GK Committee, hereby announces the list of awardees for the 22nd Gawad KALASAG Seal for Excellence in DRRM and Humanitarian Assistance for the Local DRRM Councils and Offices category.”

“This year, there are 135 Beyond Compliant and 436 Fully Compliant LGUs Awardees,” it added.