MANILA (PIA) -- The Philippines kicked off its National Disaster Resilience Month (NDRM) observance in July with month-long activities themed, “BIDAng Pilipino: Building a Stronger Filipino Well-Being towards Disaster Resilience.”

The observance is being spearheaded by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD). Various activities are held throughout the month to promote disaster resilience and risk reduction all over the country.

The NDRM kick off activity started with a simultaneous “Run For Resilience” on Saturday, July 1, in all the regions.

In Central Visayas, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) on Sunday extended a total of P1 billion worth of humanitarian assistance in Cebu. This includes the construction of 8,741 houses, repair of 1,263 houses, livelihood assistance to 8,854 families, cash assistance to 12,517 families, distribution of P2 million worth of food items to 21,789 families, and livelihood assistance for 500 families in the towns of Alcoy, Badian, and Alegria.

"Importante ang mga Cebuano sa PRC, ug kanako. Ang tabang sa PRC nagpakita sa atong bug-os nga suporta sa pagbangon sa atong mga katagilungsod nga naapektuhan sa nagkadaiyang katalagman (Cebuanos are important to me and to PRC. The assistance that PRC continues to extend to Cebu only shows our commitment to help the families affected by disasters),” PRC Chairperson and CEO Richard "Dick" Gordon said.

"Our priorities in the recovery phase must be redirected towards making communities resilient and adaptable to hazards, especially as we observe the Disaster Resilience Month this July," he added.

Gordon assured that the organization will continue to provide help and support for Cebuanos in the areas of response, relief, recovery, and rehabilitation. He added that the construction of a full shelter for 70 households in Brgy. Poblacion, Alegria, Cebu is ongoing, and that one local government unit in Cebu has pledged to donate 1,000 square meters of land to support the organization's expansion program.

He emphasized the importance of continuity for their projects as a key to empowering the affected families to recover from the effects of the disasters. He said that the PRC's priorities in the recovery phase must be redirected towards making communities resilient and adaptable to hazards, especially as the Philippines observes Disaster Resilience Month this July.

The PRC has been conducting community disaster risk reduction efforts, sustainable and resilient pro-poor water supply programs, Haiyan-related recovery projects, and different livelihood programs. These initiatives are aimed at helping communities become more prepared for and resilient to future disasters.

In Western Visayas, the NDRM officially kicked off with a series of activities in Bacolod City.

These include a Regional Poster Making and Quiz Bee contests for Elementary and High School Learners, and a 2023 DRRM Expo which showcased the response capabilities of selected local DRRM offices as well as the uniformed agencies, and volunteer and private groups in Negros Occidental.

During the expo, OCD 6 also turned over two sets of chainsaw equipment to the 53rd Engineering Brigade of the Philippine Army.

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson graced the opening of the expo and stressed the importance of disaster preparedness. He urged the Negrenses to actively participate in disaster preparedness and to create methods of communication and emergency preparations for their community.

OCD 6 Officer-in-Charge and RDRRMC 6 chairperson Ma. Aletha A. Nogra expressed her gratitude to all the stakeholders in the region for their support and collaboration toward building a safer, adaptive, and resilient future for the Western Visayas and the entire nation.

OCD 6 also encouraged the public to participate in other activities and to learn more about disaster preparedness.

In the National Capital Region, the Parañaque City Government conducted a citywide motorcade of around 200 stakeholders and partners of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) on Sunday, July 2, led by Mayor Eric Olivarez.

City hall officials and employees, volunteers from different organizations, barangay disaster risk reduction and management committee members, local police, and personnel from the Bureau of Fire and Protection joined the citywide motorcade.

Mayor Olivarez told the DRRMO team, led by Dr. Ted Gonzales Jr., that their office plays an important role in protecting residents by responding immediately to disasters, such as fires and typhoons. He said the city government is planning to acquire additional fire trucks and ambulances, as well as set up evacuation centers in every barangay. The mayor also added that the local government is planning to build a DRRM training center where volunteers and DRRMO staff can train and improve their disaster response capabilities.

Meanwhile, the NDRRMC also announced the opening of a video reel-making competition for senior high schoolers calling for disaster preparedness and resiliency for the annual event, in a report by the Philippine News Agency.

The NDRRMC said the contest is open to all Grade 11 and 12 students residing in any region of the Philippines, except to those related to the members of the NDRM Technical Working Group and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) employees up to their first degree of consanguinity or affinity.

"The context of the video reels to be submitted must be aligned with the NDRM 2023 theme: 'BIDAng Pilipino: Building a Stronger Filipino Well-being towards Disaster Resilience'," it added.

The NDRRMC also said the video reels must have a short caption not exceeding 120 letters.

Participants can use English or Filipino as the language for the reels. Previously published works are not eligible for submission.

"Entries must use mobile phones only. Basic color correction may be applied but strictly no heavy video editing works. The video reels must be on an MP4 Format File with a 1080px by 1920px size and not exceeding one minute," the NDRRMC added.

All entries shall be emailed to CBTS-ITAD Advocacy at ocdndrm2023@gmail.com with a subject title: REEL-SILIENCE_PARTICIPANTS’ FULL NAME. In submitting the entry, the participant shall attach a photocopy of their school ID and enrollment certification for verification purposes. Individuals whose works are selected will be invited to attend the closing ceremony of the NDRM 2023.

The deadline for submission of entries has been extended to July 15.

"By submitting an entry, participants shall agree to allow the OCD to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the winning or non-winning entries for marketing, educational, and promotional purposes in media platform(s) at any time," the NDRRMC added.

There will be three ranked winners per DRRM component and the decision of the judges selected by the OCD shall be final and irrevocable.

Winners would receive P12,000 for first place, P10,000 for second place and P8,000 for third place.

It can be recalled that Executive Order 29 signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte on June 28, 2017 mandates the observance of NDRM "throughout the country through the conduct of activities relative to the building of disaster resilience covering the four thematic areas." (PIA)