LEGAZPI CITY — Team Albay, a multi-awarded, pioneering disaster response, recovery and management contingent, first put together 16 years ago by Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, when he was provincial governor, has once again proven itself as a model in unified disaster response and recovery excellence.
Salceda called back Team Albay to action last week in the aftermath of the extensive devastation left by super typhoon Pepito and deployed it in Catanduanes. It herded together government agencies, humanitarian organizations, healthcare teams, local stakeholders and other volunteers. The Team currently fielded in Catanduanes under the Albay in Action and Compassion for Catanduanes (A2C2) initiative, counts on about 250 members its target is the five severely hit northern towns of Catanduanes — Pandan, Panganiban, Gigmoto, Caramoran, Bagamanoc and Viga.
The team’s mission is thus called Oplan PaPaGiCaBaVi. Backed up by a P15 million budget allocation that Salceda himself sourced out, the team now undertakes large-scale essential humanitarian services and aid, including medical and hospital assistance, psycho-social support, water sanitation through water lorries and water filtration tanks, internet connectivity through six Starlink sets, food and fuel replenishments, home building materials and agricultural rehabilitation via the distribution of quality hybrid palay seeds.
Salceda said Team Albay is living up to its 2015 Galing Pook Award, the highest civil society-given award for innovations in local governance, founded on its commitment to the Millennium Development Goals or MDGs. Spearheaded by him when he was provincial governor, Albay has achieved remarkable milestones that fortified its resilience against disasters. particularly in food security, agriculture, and environmental sustainability.
Under his leadership and Team Albay’s spirit of teamwork, the province’s rice sufficiency ratio surged from 73% to 93% in seven years; and a significant 88% increase in forest cover, with a 5.92% annual growth rate; and a 300% expansion of its mangrove forests in four years. These achievements not only safeguarded food security but also positioned Albay as a center of eco-tourism, with foreign tourist arrivals skyrocketing from 8,765 in 2006 to 383,000 by 2013.
Backing its rehabilitation efforts, initiatives established a robust baseline framework patterned after Oxford University’s Model Relocation Sites. This included the construction of six Model Evacuation Centers or AECID, ensuring disaster-affected families of safe, sustainable, and decent shelters.
Salceda said Team Albay conducted 12 major humanitarian missions and deployment in disaster-affected areas across the Philippines hit by devastating typhoons and earthquakes from 2008 to 2013. To further expand its reach, the team recently collaborated with the Team Albay Youth Organization (TAYO), which develops preventive disaster responses through innovative Climate Hero Training. Inspired by the Albay model, the TAYO-led initiative inspires the next generation of disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation advocates, and futher strengthens Albay’s leadership in sustainable disaster resilience practices, he added.
Proving its comprehensive and effective disaster response framework, Team Akbay has established itself as the gold standard in local disaster management, second only to the national government’s efforts, through its seamless coordination, multi-sectoral partnerships, and innovative strategies.
In its current and biggest mission deployment in Catanduanes, Team Albay has demonstrated that the strength of its humanitarian force lies in its people — a formidable assembly of professionals and volunteers from various sectors. Its Catanduanes team includes 20 personnel from the Jaime Berces Hospital, 14 from the Polangui LGU, 12 from the Sto. Domingo LGU, and six from the Albay Young Farmers’ Organization. They are supported by nine members from Salceda’s Albay 2nd District Office, 11 from the Philippine Coast Guard, over 10 from the PNP, 38 medical staff from the Tanchuling Hospital, 60 TAYO youth volunteers; 73 public health, veterinary services, public safety, disaster management staff of the provincial overnment, and other local volunteers mobilized by the BFD in Catanduanes. “Their collective humanitarian spirit underpins the Team’s success,” Salceda stressed.
Salceda noted that for the past years, Team Albay’s innovative approach to disaster management has not only garnered local success but has also set a national precedent for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation (CCA). “Central to this success is the Albay model, which has served as the foundation for two key national laws: RA 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, and RA 9729 or the Climate Change Act. These laws, incorporate Team Albay’s practices that, have been instrumental in shaping the national disaster management landscape.
Back in 2010, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) officially designated Albay as a Knowledge Hub for DRR and CCA under RA 10121, recognizing it as a center of excellence in disaster management. As a result, Team Albay has been sought to provided technical assistance and training across seven countries –Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Kenya, Nigeria, and Timor Leste where it shared its expertise in disaster preparedness, risk reduction, and climate resilience along with global partners.
Team Albay’s exceptional achievements and innovative disaster response strategies have been recognized through an impressive array of prestigious awards proving how crucially needed effective and extensive humanitarian aid response is. In 2011, Albay was honored with the Galing Pook Award for its “Health Strategy Towards the Early Attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),” which highlighted its commitment to integrating health, disaster preparedness, and sustainable development.
Earlier, in 2008, Albay also received the Galing Pook Award for its “Outstanding Governance Program on Disaster Preparedness,” cementing its reputation as a leader in proactive disaster management. Albay’s consistent efforts earned it the Senior Global Champion for DRR award from the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR) during the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR), further affirming its global leadership in the field.
From 2010 to 2013, Albay was recognized as the Best Province in Local Governance by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), reflecting its excellence in holistic governance and disaster risk reduction. It was also honored with the Most Outstanding Disaster Response Award in 2013 by from the Publishers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PAPI) which commended Team Albay’s swift and effective disaster response deployments. Moreover, the Gawad Kalasag Hall of Fame Award (2012) specially highlighted Albay’s consistent distinction for having the Best Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for three consecutive years (2009–2011).
Salceda also pointed out that Team Albay likewise stands out for its crafted scalable disaster response model that embodies resilience, sustainability and human-centered development which has served as a template for other provinces and nations striving to fortify their disaster response capabilities.
Holistic integration of preparedness, response, recovery, and adaptation demonstrates that proactive governance, community engagement, and strategic partnerships can save lives and rebuild futures. Team Albay continuously shows that it is not just a model for the country but also for the global community, proving that when united by purpose, even the most formidable challenges can be overcome.
