The Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office No. XIII joined the kickoff activities of the National Disaster Resilience Month (NDRM) Celebration on July 2, 2019.
With the theme “Kahandaan sa Sakuna’t Peligro para sa Tunay na Pagbabago,” the NDRM was officially opened with a Thanksgiving Eucharistic Mass at Sto. Niño Shrine in Libertad, Butuan City. It was then followed by a motorcade from Butuan City to Magallanes, Agusan del Norte where the opening program, coastal cleanup and mangrove planting activities were all conducted. The event was spearheaded by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Caraga and Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC). Twelve personnel from MGB ROXIII, together with government employees, responders and other stakeholders, actively participated in the activities.
The event aimed to promote the importance of disaster resilience especially on the four thematic areas of disaster, namely disaster prevention and mitigation, disaster preparedness, disaster response, and disaster rehabilitation and recovery. All government and non-government offices are encouraged to do their part in the achievement of the said goals. Messages that gave motivation, inspiration and information were delivered by the representative of Hon. Cesar C. Cumba, Jr., Mayor of Magallanes; Dir. Liza R. Mazo, OCD Caraga Regional Director and Chairperson of RDRRMC; Dir. Dominga D. Mallonga, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Caraga Regional Director and Vice Chairperson of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation; Dir. Lilibeth A. Famacion, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga Regional Director and Vice Chairperson of Disaster Preparedness; Dir. Mita Chuchi G. Lim, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga Regional Director and Vice Chairperson of Disaster Response; and Atty. Bonifacio G. Uy, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Caraga Regional Director and Vice Chairperson of Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery.
NDRM is an annual event which was institutionalized by line agencies. Many organizations are now involved in the said endeavor. After the program, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) members and the Local Government Unit of Magallanes participated in the coastal cleanup and mangrove planting activities which took place in Brgy. Sto. Niño, Municipality of Magallanes. Over 600 people from 70 partner agencies and disaster management institutions within Caraga Region took part in the kickoff activities.