CEBU CITY, March 24 (PNA) — Bogo City’s program, the “IM Prepared” or information management in preparation for disasters, was among the 33 nominees of the United Nation’s (UN) Sasakawa Award for disaster risk reduction.
Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office head Baltazar Tribunalo announced Bogo’s inclusion in the list of nominees.
The list was bared during the 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction last March 14 to 18 in Sendai, Japan, where Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III was in attendance.
The Sasakawa award was given to Allan Lavell of Costa Rica during the world conference.
Ben Frederick Rodriguez, Bogo City disaster risk reduction management officer, said the winner pledged to coordinate with Bogo and Cebu Province in replicating the IM Prepared to other local government units (LGUs).
The nominees were announced last March 17.
“IM Prepared aims to change the mindset of the people from reactive to proactive and it encompasses the government’s existing preparedness as it goes down to the family level, through baseline data, family interaction/drills, capacity building, barangay information and education drive in schools,” Bogo City Mayor Celestino Martinez Jr. said in a press statement.
Davide said the IM Prepared program promotes family preparedness as the Bogo City Government believes the readiness of an LGU will depend on each family’s preparedness.
Tribunalo also said that the Swiss Development Agency is supporting Cebu in capacity building for disaster risk reduction and training. (PNA)