Four volunteer groups boycott Gawad Kalasag awarding
Cabrera
A. Chris Fernandez photo
Four volunteer search and rescue groups based in Iloilo boycotted yesterday's awarding ceremony of the 2007 Regional Gawad Kalasag held at the Iloilo Grand Hotel. The four groups did not show up in protest of the national award given to SMART Communications Inc. (SMART Comm) by the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) recently.
The four volunteer groups which boycotted the regional awarding are Mountain Tigers Inc., Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, Black Panther Volunteer Group and Royal Eagles Rescue Volunteer Brigade.
Gawad Kalasag which stands for Kalamidad at Sakuna Labanan, Sariling Galing ang Kaligtasan is a project of the NDCC and its local counterparts in recognition of the help and contribution made by volunteer groups during disaster and emergency situations.
SMART Comm based in San Miguel, Iloilo recently bagged the National Gawad Kalasag award for the civic organization emergency responder category.
Capt. Nilo Sazon of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary said over Aksyon Radyo that they opted to boycott the awarding because they feel that they were treated unfairly by the national award giving body.
Sazon said they were surprised that only SMART Comm got the award in the national level as everybody knows that their groups have not been remiss in responding to disasters or emergencies.
Commander Jomarie Gubatanga of the Black Panther Volunteer Group also said in the same radio interview that they were surprised that SMART Comm got the award when such group seldom could be seen responding to emergencies.
"Bal-an man na sang publiko kon sin-o ang madasig mag-responde sa tion sang mga emerhensiya. Ang amon grupo naga-responde bisan diin may emergency, sa siyudad man ukon sa mga kabanwahanan (The public knows our performance. We respond to emergencies wherever it occurs)," Gubatanga said.
Brgy. Capt. Luisa Froilan, also a member of Black Panther, echoed the same sentiment saying they boycotted the regional awarding because they feel that their efforts have not been recognized.
"Gusto namon ang eksakto lang," Froilan said.
Commander Roy Bagares of Royal Eagles and Captain George Dairo of Mountain Tigers also joined the boycott.
Regional Disaster and Coordinating Council (RDCC) vice chair Rosario Cabrera explained they have nothing to do with the selection of awardees in the national level. She said, they have forwarded the records of all the volunteer search and rescue groups to the NDCC which conducted their own evaluation.
However, no volunteer group from the region made it on the list of national awardees, Cabrera lamented. She said volunteer groups coming from Iligan and Olongapo were declared as winners in the rescue and volunteer groups level.
In the case of SMART Comm, Cabrera explained that SMART Comm bagged the national award in the communications and warning group.
Cabrera said SMART Comm though based in the town of San Miguel has been of help in the different areas in Iloilo and even Guimaras in times of disasters. The communication group is headed by Leonardo Salapantan.
Cabrera added that all the recommendations forwarded to the RDCC have been referred to them by the municipal and provincial disaster coordinating councils.
Cabrera said the protesting groups should have asked her on what happened in the national level. She said NDCC has their own selection board.
In the region, the members of the selection committee were Sr. Supt. Reynaldo Rafal of the Police Regional Office 6; Eligio Calaor of the Office of the Civil Defense; Ted Cabanero of the Department of Interior and Local Government; Jerry Porras of the Department of Health; Rosario San Agustin of Department of Social Welfare and Development Office; Wendyl Mae Villaprudente of Department of the Education; Raul Garganera of the Philippine National Red Cross; Engr. Joseph Paul Nogra and Celeste Milan of the of the Regional Disaster and Coordinating Council secretariat.
Cabrera stressed that the RDCC acknowledges the participation and help of the four groups during disasters.
"They could have checked me first with regard to their complaint," she said.
Cabrera assured that she will talk with the heads of the four groups to settle things out.
Sazon, on the other hand, assured the public that their protest will not affect their commitment to respond in time of disasters and emergencies.
"The spirit of volunteerism is within us, even without recognition we are here to serve," Sazon assured.