ARMM celebrates World Humanitarian Day with IPs, project launching

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=795192
• Thursday, August 20, 2015

(PNA), FFC/NYP/EOF

COTABATO CITY, Aug. 20 (PNA) -- The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on Wednesday observed the World Humanitarian Day with the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and the launching of the community-driven disaster response and preparedness program.

Present during the launching in Barangay Rempes, North Upi town in Maguindanao were Mayor Ramon Piang, village chairpersons and other political leaders.

A highlight of the event was the launching of the community-driven disaster response and preparedness program with a grant project of T’duray Days School Project (TDSP) together with ARMM’s Enhancing Governance Accountability and Engagement, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Ten barangays of North Upi, Maguindanao were recipients of the project.

Nolie Acosta, TDSP program manager, said the initiative aims at inculcating in the minds of each family the need to be prepared in times of disaster.

He added it also aims at making North Upi a “resilient, transparent and adaptive community.”

“Through this program, we will slowly change and motivate the minds of each family on disaster-preparedness,” Acosta said.

“Each family should know the hazards in its community and how to respond during calamities,” he added.

Mayor Piang said the family-based disaster program is a big help to the municipality particularly to recipient barangays.

Piang, a Teduray native, said each family should be “aware and ready for everything and make disaster (preparedness) a family business.”

The celebration also featured other activities such as tree planting, display of Information and Education Campaign materials and free consultation for pregnant women.

Signing of local leaders on a commitment wall to show support on the advocacy of the ARMM for disaster risk reduction and management at the community level and groundbreaking ceremony of a halfway shelter for pregnant women were also held during the event.

The World Humanitarian Day is an internationally celebrated event every 19th of August. It aims at raising awareness on humanitarian assistance worldwide.

In ARMM, World Humanitarian Day was formally celebrated in 2013. Last year, the theme of the celebration was acknowledging humanitarian heroes.

This year, the United Nations focused its campaign on exposing to the public the “human face” of issues surrounding displacements, insecurity, issues of durable solutions, as well as inspirational stories of resilience and hope.