Merely a month after receiving an award from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for outstanding contribution to public service, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Fire and Rescue Group was conferred the 2010 Gawad Kalasag Awar d for emergency response and public assistance.
The award was received at Camp Aguinaldo by SBMA fire chief Ranny Magno from Local Government Secretary Jesus Robredo, chairman of the National Selection Committee for the 2010 Gawad Kalasag Award, and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, chair of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
Kalasag, which stands for “Sakuna Labanan, Sariling Galing ang Kaligtasan”is the NDRRMC’s recognition program for excellence in disaster risk management and humanitarian assistance.
Robredo said the SBMA Fire and Rescue Group was named the “Best Government Emergency Managers”for sustaining its well -established track record of excellence in emergency response.
The awards body cited the group’s responders as “highly remarkable,”adding that “their demonstrated skills and abilities continued its significant contributions in responding to emergencies inside the SBMA area and in other parts of the country as well.”
The judges also noted that the SBMA group is a well-structured and well-funded organization that is “headed by a knowledgeable leader who enjoys the respect and support not only of its responders, but especially by the SBMA.”
Last December, Magno, along with another SBMA employee, Randy Canlas, received the Pag-Asa Award for outstanding public service from President Benigno Aquino III during a ceremony in Malacañang. In August last year, Magno also accepted a Gawad Kalasag award that recognized the “extraordinary courage, heroism and self-sacrifice”shown by the SBMA Fire and
Rescue Group in times of emergencies and disasters.
Commenting on the awards received by the SBMA Fire and Rescue Group, SBMA administrator Armand Arreza expressed pride for having “true public servants”in the SBMA team.
Arreza said that the award is “very encouraging”for the rescue group and for the whole SBMA family, knowing that the public is acknowledging their efforts and accomplishments in serving the community.
For his part, Magno stressed tha t even without the awards, the SBMA Fire and Rescue Group will always be ready to assist those who are in danger, as well as to help train others in search and rescue operations.
“Like all employees of the SBMA, members of the Fire and Rescue Group work hard to meet embody the SBMA core values of malasakit, excellence and passion. Our goal is to effectively serve the public,”Magno added. -30- SBMA Corporate Communications Group
