SENATOR Bong Go assured that he will continue to advocate for Senate Bill 193 or the Safe Pinoy Centers Act for the establishment of evacuation centers nationwide.
According to Go, there is a severe lack of facilities for calamity victims such as typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and even fire incidents.
“Our country is prone to typhoons, right? We are situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire and typhoons and earthquakes often occur. It is really timely that we have mandatory evacuation centers,” Sen. Bong Go said.
Every time there’s a calamity, basketball courts, gyms, or schools often become the temporary shelters for affected residents.
Go lamented that this situation persists. He emphasized that even students’ quality of education are compromise when their schools are transformed into temporary shelters for evacuees.
“Proper, clean evacuation centers so children’s education won’t be sacrificed. There should be proper evacuation centers to prevent children from getting sick,” Sen. Go added.
According to the senator, these centers should not only offer adequate space but also prioritize cleanliness and sanitation to prevent the spread of diseases among evacuees.
Under the proposed Safe Pinoy Centers Act, the construction of evacuation centers will be overseen by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The DPWH will be responsible for constructing the evacuation centers based on standards, issuances, and guidelines set by the DPWH.
The DENR, on the other hand, will determine the location of each evacuation center in cooperation with local governments.
