The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) conferred the ‘Bakas Parangal ng Kabayanihan’ award to the 82-man Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent (PIAHC) to Turkiye, honoring its contribution to response operations in the quake-ravaged country, held in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, yesterday.
“As a Filipino, it makes me proud that our country, the Philippines, readily responded to that call, in solidarity with the international community. We were able to quickly form our humanitarian contingent as we are never short of men and women who have no qualms about facing danger and overcoming odds just to extend a helping hand and bring comfort to those in need.” said NDRRMC Chairperson and National Defense Officer-in-Charge, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. in his keynote message.
At the ceremony, the team leader of each agency and uniformed service of PIAC received the ‘Bakas Parangal’ award on behalf of its members.
Handing the award were Sec. Galvez, DOH OIC, Undersecretary María Rosario Vergeire, NDRRMC Executive Director and Civil Defense Administrator, Usec. Ariel Nepomuceno and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Acting Chairman Romando S. Artes.
‘Bakas Parangal’ was institutionalized in August 2012. As stated in the NDRRMC Memorandum Circular No. 11 s 2012. The award is given as recognition of merit or token of gratitude to individuals or groups who exerted exemplary and extraordinary acts of selflessness in reaching out to those who are in urgent need of assistance in times of disasters.
Meanwhile, the contingent also received P4.1 million monetary incentives from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
PIAC was sent to Turkiye to help the victims of the 7.8 earthquake that hit the country on February 6. The team arrived in Istanbul on February 9 and returned home on March 1 after two weeks of deployment.
Members of the PIAC are personnel from the 505th Search and Rescue Group of the Philippine Air Force, the 525th Engineering Combat Battalion of the Philippine Army, MMDA, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Department of Health, and from the Office of Civil Defense.
The Philippine contingent’s medical team served 1,022 patients while its search and rescue team assisted in search and rescue operations in the collapsed buildings, assessing a total of 36 buildings from February 10 to 15, 2023 before it was placed on standby, awaiting requests for further assistance on retrieval operations. The Philippine government also provided 11,205 blankets, 5,000 bonnets, and 420 pairs of gloves to the victims.
The base of operations or base camp was also managed with the leadership of the DOH, with the assistance of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Turkish military.
“As chairperson of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, I convey my sincerest appreciation and personal commendation to all of you for ably representing our country and extending to our brothers and sisters in Turkiye the warmth of our people’s love through the services you have rendered.” Sec. Galvez added.
DOH Usec. Vergeire, AFP Chief of Staff Andres Centino, OCD Usec. Nepomuceno, and MMDA Acting Chairman Artes also expressed their gratitude and admiration to the PIAC. (VICTOR BALDEMOR RUIZ)
