The construction of the Roxas City Calamity Shelter and Mountain Escape will start next year, a city government official confirmed. Aside from serving evacuees in times of calamities, the evacuation center is also seen as one of the city’s ambitious infrastructure projects that will boost the agriculture and tourism sectors. It will be built at Hortus Botanicus, a tourist spot on a hill in Barangay Milibili. The evacuation center will have two buildings to be called “Angel Wings Buildings,” according to City Engineer Ardieli Ambrosio. With roofing shaped like the angel wings shellfish, or diwal, the buildings can accommodate about 600 families each, said Ambrosio. The roof’s shape will deflect excess heat and allow cool air to enter; the building will also be equipped with solar panels, the official said. TOURIST SPOT Uniquely, the evacuation center will have other facilities like a helipad, a zip line, cabanas, poultry and livestock area, and a swimming pool. Since the evacuation area is located on a hill, the city will build a 162-step access staircase from the national highway. Ambrosio said the city government aims to make the evacuation center a “self-sustaining agri-ecotourism site.” Some of the cabanas will serve as restaurants with fishing gears that may be lent to the evacuees. Evacuees will also be taught how to farm. These activities, Ambrosio said, will provide the evacuees with opportunities to earn. P70-M PROJECT A rainwater storage facility will be built under the Angel Wings Buildings. The rainwater collected will be used to power a windmill that will pump groundwater into a water tank. Whole oyster shells will be used in making wall panels, while ground ones will be mixed with sand and cement to make hollow blocks that will be used for the buildings. The evacuation center will also have a water treatment facility that will convert sewer water into biogas, which may be used as fuel or fertilizer, and make dirty water usable for watering plants via anaerobic treatment. Ambrosio said the P70-million project, to be implemented phase by phase, could be finished in two to three years. Existing evacuation sites, including public schools and the Dinggoy Roxas Civic Center, do not have sufficient facilities, he said. Evacuation also disrupts classes for months and leaves some buildings dirty if not damaged, Ambrosio added. CONTEST The city government proposes to make the civic center, the Roxas City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the Roxas City Integrated Terminal secondary evacuation sites. City hall officials pitched the Roxas City Calamity Shelter and Mountain Escape as entry in the Liveable Cities Design Challenge last month. Roxas was adjudged as one of the top four contenders under the Evacuation Center category. The Liveable Cities Design Challenge aims to make planners better plan their city or municipality for a climate-defined future. It is spearheaded by the National Competitiveness Council, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation National Organizing Council, Urban Land Institute, World Wildlife Fund, Asia Society, and Alliance for Safe and Sustainable Reconstruction. It is sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development and Microsoft.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 23:44:34 +0000