We are honored to share that the UP Resilience Institute YouthMappers (UPRIYM) has received the 2025 Ignacio B. Gimenez Excellence Award for UP Student Organizations’ Social Innovation Projects, under the Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction category. The award was given during this year’s Parangal sa Samahang Mag-aaral at the University Theater in UP Diliman.
UPRIYM earned recognition for its flagship initiative, BATAlert: Capacitating Children’s DRRM Skills Through the Development of Community-Based Educational Modules. The team implemented the project with support from Yayasan Peta Bencana and USAID, under the Cognicity OSS for Next Generation Community Engagement in Disaster Risk Management Program.
From January 28 to March 9, 2024, UPRIYM conducted BATAlert to engage children aged 6 to 17 with disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) concepts and disaster reporting through age-appropriate, community-based, creative, and hands-on methods. The team developed interactive modules that used physical games to teach key DRRM skills such as preparedness, early warning, and evacuation procedures.
In collaboration with Buklod ng Tao, a community organization based in Barangay Banaba, San Mateo, Rizal, UPRIYM worked directly with the group’s youth arm, Buklod ng Kabataan, to co-develop and pilot the modules. The culminating activity was held at Buklod ng Tao Headquarters, where participants completed a series of themed DRRM games followed by a guided reflection session.
Principles of ethical engagement, cultural relevance, and accessibility guided the module design. With the help of UPRI’s Research Creative Works (RCW) division, particularly through consultations with Dr. Glecy Atienza, the project adopted a gamified approach rather than performance-based activities to fit the timeline and resources. All games and materials were developed in Filipino and rooted in the local disaster experiences of the community.
We sincerely thank the organizers of the Parangal sa Mag-aaral, the UP Diliman Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Ignacio B. Gimenez Foundation, Inc., and all our partners and volunteers who have contributed to BATAlert’s success. This award affirms our belief that community-centered, education-based DRRM initiatives can create a meaningful and lasting impact.
We remain committed to scaling up this initiative and working with more communities to build a culture of preparedness, starting with our children.