The Department of Public Works and Highways-Cordillera Administrative Region (DPWH-CAR) was cited by the Office of the Civil Defense – CAR for its disaster response efforts during Typhoon “Lawin” in October 2016.
In a ceremony held at Camp John Hay Convention Center in Baguio City, the DPWH was among the recipients of Kalasag Awards in recognition of its services rendered as head of the Road and Bridge Clearing and Management Cluster and its advocacy on proper engineering interventions through Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction which improved the Cordillera Administrative Region’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) standards.
During the onslaught of Super Typhoon Lawin, DPWH-CAR and its 12 District Engineering Offices had their pre-positioned maintenance crew on the ground clearing and opening road closures as early as possible to ensure mobility of disaster response activities.
Maintenance teams also coordinated with the local government units and contractors for equipment to be used in the clearing operations. Continuous monitoring of road situations were conducted for the immediate response on road closures.
With the existence of landslide prone roads in the Cordillera, DPWH-CAR and its District Engineering Offices are among the busiest offices nationwide especially in the eventualities of typhoons. At the onset of typhoon warnings, DPWH maintenance crew and quick response teams are immediately activated.
The Cordillera Gawad Kalasag Awards of the Office of the Civil Defense is an award-giving body that recognizes partners in the public and private sectors that have valuable contributions to the DRRM and humanitarian assistance in CAR.