“It’s only fitting that we now have a law providing for the establishment of permanent evacuation centers for every city and town”
That’s probably a fair question to ask when the country, by reason of its geographic location at the western flank of the Pacific Ocean, is battered by 20 or more typhoons of varying intensity from mild to very strong every year.
These typhoons often bring heavy rainfall and even gale-force winds that destroy flimsy homes and infrastructure such as roads and bridges. They can also cause widespread flooding that lead to damage to agricultural crops as well landslides that kill people.
But it’s better late than never, it would seem, as natural disasters are a fact of life in these parts almost all year-round.
In fact, the country is considered among the most disaster-prone in the world as we also lie in the so-called Pacific ring of fire composed of active volcanoes that spit out deadly lava flows every now and then.
It’s only fitting that we now have a law providing for the establishment of permanent evacuation centers for every city and town all over the country.
The goal is to ensure that when disaster strikes, Filipinos can seek refuge in storm-resilient, fully-equipped, safe, and decent evacuation centers that will be set up for displaced families affected by natural calamities, human-induced disasters, or public health crises,
It is true that we cannot control natural disasters such as ferocious storms, flooding, landslides and earthquakes.
But we can at least minimize the loss of lives and allow those affected to seek shelter and be able to get assistance from government agencies such as the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the Department of Social Work and Development, among others, so they can resume normal lives later on.
Republic Act 12076, or the “Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act”signed recently by President Marcos Jr., is the result of the passage of Senate Bill 2451, a priority legislative measure that mandates the establishment of evacuation centers for every city and municipality.
RA 12076 provides minimum standards for the facilities and conditions of each evacuation center, ensuring they are built in safe and accessible locations, and capable of withstanding supertyphoons and seismic activity.
It also mandates essential amenities such as sleeping quarters, shower and toilet facilities, kitchens, health care stations, and standby power.
The DPWH will be responsible for the construction of new evacuation centers and for upgrading existing structures. Local government units (LGUs) will manage and maintain these centers, which can also serve as civic centers or multi-purpose buildings when not in use during disasters.
The establishment of permanent evacuation centers is necessary as this would address the frequent disruption of learning caused by using classrooms as temporary shelters. The Philippine Development Plan cites that 35,648 classrooms in 11,522 schools have been used as evacuation centers, displacing teaching and learning activities.
If people can have ready access to evacuation facilities when flooding due to typhoons or other natural or man-made disasters take place, then residents in affected communities will be able to immediately move to the permanent evacuation centers rather than use classrooms, gyms, or even churches to seek shelter until the emergency ends and they can safely go back to their homes. The goal is to provide families fleeing from natural and man-made calamities with safe and secure surroundings and prevent further loss of lives and injury.
President Marcos Jr. has emphasized that the construction of fully equipped evacuation centers under the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act reflects the government’s commitment to provide immediate relief to families affected by calamities.
He himself has admitted that he does not want such evacuation centers to be frequently used and that he can “only pray that we have fewer calamities.”
He has ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways to ensure that the evacuation centers are immediately constructed and finished on time but should be compliant with building standards.
(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)
