CALOOCAN CITY (PIA) --A Day Care volunteer teacher from Koronadal City, South Cotobato won the Special Recognition for the Individual Category in the recently concluded 22nd Gawad Kalasag (GK) 2022 of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
With the, various stakeholders nationwide received recognitions for their exceptional contributions in strengthening resilience and capacities of communities through implementation of their DRRM programs, Mr. Shaun Pumaren stood out in this year’s GK awarding ceremony.
“Gusto ko itong ginagawa ko, kahit pa sabihin natin na may mga limitations dahil volunteer lang ako, patuloy ko itong gagawin lalo pa para ito sa young generation,” Pumaren said.
Pumaren has been advocating DRRM awareness since 2015. As a volunteer Teacher for Day Care he ensures that his advocacy is not only limited to young students but is also packaged to reach parents as well the community.
In 2019, involving all the parents of San Lorenzo Ruiz Child Development Center, he spearheaded the First Quick Response Team (QRT) of the said school. Consequently, the effort was recognized also at GK 2019 as the Best for Basic First Aid Life Support and Best Disaster Preparedness on Demonstration.
Pumaren is also a proud member of Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (BDRRMC) of Barangay Zone I and is currently the Team Leader of Search and Rescue Team and their Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC).
For him, these are more than just titles. The milestones and the evident actions should be seen and felt on the communities.
“Ang pinaka importante talaga ay yung ramdam ng tao ‘yung initiatives mo,” he emphasized during an exclusive interview at the Gawad Kalasag awarding ceremony on Tuesday, 07 December 2022.
“Ibahagi lang natin yung kaya nating ibahagi para makatulong. Hindi hadlang yung limitasyon sa resources [kahit pa volunteer ka],” he added.
The Gawad Kalasag, with the rigorous process of validations and deliberations of entries, has been receiving support from stakeholders since it was established in 1998.
The prestigious award giving body of NDRRMC aims to reinforce commitments of Local Government Units, Provinces, private and local individuals nationwide to participate in our call to build national resilience.
The GK halted for a while when the pandemic hit on 2020, thus making this year the first face-to-face comeback after two years.
As DRRM champions, the global health crisis tested our commitment to build national resilience and protect lives and properties of Filipinos however, it also proved one thing, the challenges can always make us bounce back better. (PIA NCR with information from OCD)
