24 July 2013 - In observance of the 2013 National Disaster Consciousness Month (NDCM) with the theme “Ligtas na Bayan, Maunlad na Pamayanan” and in support of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Volunteer Program, DFA Legazpi conducted a community outreach at the Banquerohan Resettlement Elementary School (BRES) in Legazpi City on July 21.

The Philippine Naval Forces Southern Luzon (Navforsol), headed by Commodore Manuel Natalio Abinuman, supported and participated in the DFA activity.

BRES has 350 students whose families originally came from the six-kilometer permanent danger zone around Mt. Mayon’s.

To prevent soil erosion and also to provide shade in the school ground, DFA Legazpi and Philippine Navy personnel, together with Grade 6 students, planted 100 narra and pili trees around and within the school premises.  The trees were provided by Department of Environment and Natural resources-Albay whose personnel also assisted during the tree- planting.  The tree-planting was followed by a feeding activity, hair trimming and Palaro ng Lahi.  

On July 01 during the launching of the NDCM, DFA Legazpi and Navforsol were among the recipients of Certificates of Commendation from re-elected Albay Governor Joey Salceda and Office of Civil Defense V Regional Director Bernardo Alejandro IV for the assistance they extended during the Search, Rescue and Retrieval Operations for local and foreign mountaineers affected by the Mayon phreatic explosion on 07 May 2013. END