COTABATO CITY – The Office of Civil Defense in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (OCD-ARMM) culminated the observance of the 2018 National Disaster Resilience Month (NDRM) with an activity held here on Tuesday.
The NDRM, formerly known as National Disaster Consciousness Month, is aimed at intensifying information and awareness campaign and advocating the Disaster Risk Reduction Management programs for a disaster resilient Filipino community. This year’s observance carried the theme, “Katatagan sa kalamidad ay makakamtan kapag sapat ang kaalaman sa kahandaan”.
Raylindo S. Aniñon, OCD-ARMM Director, said the culmination of the NDRM does not end the work on disaster risk reduction, instead “it will serve as an avenue to renew the commitment and support to DRRM programs and its objectives.”
The DRRM programs encompass four thematic areas: prevention and mitigation, disaster preparedness, response, and the rehabilitation and recovery. The ARMM agencies leading the four thematic areas are: Department of Science and Technology, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Regional Project and Development Office.
One of the highlights of the event was the renewal of commitment where the participants and all other stakeholders signed the ‘Pledge of Commitment’ wall. Plaque of recognition was also awarded to the partner agencies.
During the month-long observance of the NDRM, the OCD-ARMM conducted various activities such as resilience ‘fun-run’, poster-making contest, essay-writing contest, tree-planting, resilience caravan/parade for community and schools, and coastal clean-up.
The success of these activities was made possible through OCD’s partnership with the ARMM line agencies, uniformed personnel, different local government units, selected nongovernmental organizations, and international nongovernmental organizations such as the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The NDRM is observed annually during the month of July and is spearheaded by the Office of Civil Defense. (Bureau of Public Information)
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