AS more quakes hit Mindanao and other parts of the country, a party-list group on Wednesday filed a bill establishing permanent evacuation centers in every two to three barangays in the country.
In House Bill 5259, House Deputy Minority leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said there shall be created a permanent evacuation center located in the center of every two to three contiguous barangays nationwide to accommodate the population of the contiguous communities in times of disasters.
With these earthquakes, Zarate urged the House leadership to fast-track its passage so that victims of calamities would have a secure and safe venue to recover from disasters.
“These evacuation centers should be earthquake and disaster resistant so that the victims would be safer and would not be confined in tent cities which are exposed to the elements,” said Zarate.
“This is a departure from the common practice of using schools and multipurpose halls as evacuation centers but are still in danger prone areas. The evacuation centers proposed by HB 5259 should also be located in between baranggays so that more people can reach them at the soonest time and may also serve as the command center for disaster response,” he added.
Under the bill, these evacuation centers shall be designed to withstand wind speed of at least 300 kilometers per hour and moderate seismic activity of at least 8.0 magnitude. Evacuation centers should have the following essential facilities and equipment: Cubicles which could house at least five families; restrooms; centralized kitchen and laundry areas; a generator; sufficient water supply; Disaster Risk Reduction Management training facilities; and rainwater catchment system.
The bill said evacuation centers should also have a clinic which will house sufficient and necessary medical equipment, as well as a counseling area; offices for Social welfare and Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council personnel; appropriate natural ventilations; stockroom for relief goods; and such other physical provisions guaranteeing humane conditions for evacuees.
It said upon completion of the permanent evacuation center, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) shall turn over the same to the respective local government units which shall then have the responsibility over the management, operations and maintenance of their respective permanent evacuation centers.
Also, the NDRRMC and the LGUs shall enter a memorandum of agreement to maintain the national-local coordination in ensuring that the standards and qualifications in the establishment and maintenance of the permanent evacuation centers are regularly met.
It said the amount of P10 billion is appropriated to the NDRRMC as lead agency for the initial implementation of the proposed law.
“The lead agency shall first prioritize areas that are identified as disaster prone. Thereafter, such sum as may be necessary for the establishment of permanent evacuation centers throughout the whole country shall be included in the General Appropriations Act,” the bill added.