Multi-purpose buildings in barangays to replace schools as evacuation centers A lawmaker is seeking the construction of a multi-purpose building in a strategic area in every barangay in the country that will serve as an evacuation center during times of calamity or disaster. Rep. Evelina G. Escudero (1st District, Sorsogon) said the construction of multi-purpose buildings in the barangays will stop the use of public schools as evacuation areas which causes disruption in the education of school children and can even put evacuees in dire danger. She said with disasters now becoming a permanent fixture in the lives of Filipinos, temporary stopgap measures such as the designation of public schools as evacuation centers must be minimized, if not completely eradicated. This practice causes disruption in the schedule and education of our school children and even put many of the evacuees in dire danger. Instead, a sturdy structurally-sound permanent building that can be used as temporary safe haven for evacuation in times of disaster must be established in strategic areas in the barangays, said Escudero. She said aside from school buildings, covered courts and even churches are used as evacuation centers. The congestion in these evacuation centers put at risk children, pregnant women, senior citizens and the disabled, who are the ones most vulnerable in times of disaster, according to the lawmaker. Moreover, these evacuation centers may be located in unsafe areas or are not structurally designed to withstand typhoons and strong earthquake or their aftershocks, said Escudero, a vice chairperson of the Committees on Higher and Technical Education, and on Cooperatives Development. She said barangays that are within disaster-prone areas should be given highest priority in the construction of multi-purpose buildings. During ordinary times, she said these buildings can be used for other public purposes, and the barangay council will issue rules and regulations for its use. Escudero explained the country is vulnerable to disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and other natural calamities since it is situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire where two major tectonic plates meet. She said the Pacific Ring of Fire is an arc of intense seismic and volcanic activity stretching from New Zealand, along the eastern edge of Asia, across the Aleutian Islands of Alaska and along the coast of North and South America. House Bill 5150 provides it is the declared policy of the State to uphold the peoples right to life and property by addressing the cause of vulnerabilities to disasters and strengthening the institutional capacity or resilience of local communities to disasters. Towards this end, the bill provides the State shall provide for the construction of a multi-purpose building in a strategic area in every barangay to serve as the evacuation center to guarantee the safety and well-being of the victims of natural or man-made disasters, particularly children, pregnant women, senior citizens and the disabled. The bill is now pending at the Committee on Public Works and Highways chaired by Rep. Ronald M. Cosalan (Lone District, Benguet). It provides the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) shall undertake the construction of the multi-purpose building in every barangay. The construction shall be based on a program prepared by the DPWH in coordination with the municipality or city council. The DPWH shall give priority to barangays whose residents volunteer labor services in the construction thereof. The DPWH shall issue the construction guidelines and receive applications. Barangays located in disaster-prone areas shall be given the highest priority in the construction of the multi-purpose building, the bill provides. The measure provides that the multi-purpose building shall be used as an evacuation center in times of disaster or calamity, and may be used for other short-term purposes as the Barangay Council may decide. The council shall issue rules and regulations to ensure equitable and proportionate use among barangay residents or associations. The council shall also impose a minimal charge as may be necessary for the buildings maintenance and repair. The operation and management of the multi-purpose building shall be under the Office of the Municipal or City Mayor in coordination with the Barangay Council. The amount necessary for the implementation of the proposed Act shall be charged to the DPWH budget under the current General Appropriations Act (GAA). Thereafter, such sum necessary for the repair and maintenance of the building shall be included in the annual budget of the barangay where it is located, the bill provides. SOURCE: Media Relations Service, Public Relations and Information Bureau
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 08:35:21 +0000
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