Xavier School was conferred the Regional Gawad KALASAG 2018 Award at the National Disaster Resilience Month (NDRM) Culminating Ceremony on July 30. The event took place at the Armed Forces of the Philippines Commissioned Officers Clubhouse, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
The school took top honors in the “Private Elementary School – National Capital Region” category, given jointly by the Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MMDRRMC) and the Office of Civil Defense-National Capital Region (OCD-NCR).
In awarding First Place, the Regional Selection Committee acknowledged Xavier School’s numerous strengths, particularly the presence of an on-site water treatment facility; the innovative use of “Grab Bags” as head protection and emergency provision by students and personnel; the installation of a fire-suppression system comprised of sprinklers, detectors, alarms and hydrants; adequate medical facilities and transport; a stockpile of emergency food and water; and many others.
Representing Xavier School at the event were Jane Cacacho, Grade School Principal; Flora Anne Alfonso, Assistant Principal for Academics; and Gerardo Castañeda, Security Coordinator. They accepted the award from MGen. Romulo M. Cabantac, Jr., Regional Director of the OCD-NCR and Sr. Vice-Chair of the MMDRRMC; and Director Amante Salvador, MMDRRMC representative for the Honorable Danilo Lim, MMDA Chairman.
By virtue of their first-place award, Xavier School automatically becomes the NCR’s entry in the “Private Elementary School” category at the national competition later this year.
Gawad KALASAG stands for “Kalamidad at Sakuna Labanan, Sariling Galing ang Kaligtasan.” The award was launched in 1998 to recognize outstanding contributions in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM), as well as humanitarian response and action, especially at the local level.