Country’s best rescue group is in Western Visayas
The Negros Rescue Federation (NRF) in the province of Negros Occidental gave a distinct honor to the whole of Western Visayas when they were adjudged as the most outstanding search and rescue group for three consecutive years.
NRF as KALASAG Hall of Fame awardee has maintained excellence in the field of disaster management and humanitarian assistance. The group received their citation during the regional awarding here, and the national recognition ceremony set in Manila by the National Disaster Coordinating Council will be held later in Manila sometime in November this year, said Director Rose Cabrera of the Office of Civil Defense, here.
KALASAG stands for Kalamidad at Sakuna Labanan, Sariling Galing ang Kaligtasan.
The Province of Negros Occidental likewise will be bestowed the Gawad Kalasag Hall of Fame for having been adjudged as the Most outstanding Provincial Disaster Provincial Coordinating Council in the Country for three consecutive years. The Negros PDCC has become a bastion of well documented best practices and disaster responses in the country, and consistently maintained excellence in the field of disaster management and humanitarian assistance.
Negros Occidental is located in the central portion of the country where Kanlaon Volcano is found. It is one of the six provinces of Western Visayas. The province is composed of l3 cities and l9 municipalities, 66l barangays and seven political districts. It has a population of around 2,565,723 per May 2000 census.
The Negros Rescue Federation started in l983. It heightened in l994 and began to grow massively. Now, the NRF has two operating groups, the Regullar Rescue Team in towns and cities and the Rescue Teams converted into Quick Response Group of the PDCC-Negros Occidental.
Recognizing the necessity of further upgrading the group’s skills on rescue and disaster management, the provincial government has donated a land for the Public Safety Academy. The Amity Fire Brigade Volunteer provided the resources for the construction of two buildings and the second phase is to improve the existing training facilities with funds to be provided by the provincial government. Since the establishment of the Public Safety Academy, the NRF has availed of trainings in the various aspects of disaster management. As a result, despite the number of calamities that had struck the province, the casualties were contained due to the disaster preparedness that has been institutionalized.
The NRF has now 6,000 active members, and with the close coordination between the Negros PDCC and NRF, they are committed to pursue their mission to make Negros Occidental, which is facing 75% natural disasters, one of the safest provinces in the country and the Mecca of Volunteerism worthy of emulation.
(PIA/T.Villavert)