Deputy Speaker and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate on Monday, Dec. 20 called on the Senate to fast track the approval of its version of the Permanent Evacuation Centers Bill that proposes to ensure safe and secured evacuation venues for victims of typhoons and other natural and man-made disasters.
Zarate aired the appeal as Super Typhoon Odette exited from the country and left behind in its wake thousands of families families homeless.
House Bill 5259 or the Permanent Evacuation Centers Bill was approved by the House of Representatives a few months ago. It now awaits Senate’s passage of its own version.
Zarate and fellow Makabayan lawmakers authored the House version of the measure.
"Under House Bill No. 5259, our proposed evacuation centers should be typhoon, earthquake, disaster resistant so that the victims would be safer and would not be confined in tent cities which are exposed to the elements especially now that most houses and structures in many areas are either destroyed or heavily damaged,” said Zarate.
"This is a departure from the common practice of using schools and multi-purpose 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 explained.
Zarate said that since Philippines lies in the so-called typhoon belt, it has become incumbent upon government to undertake measures “while waiting for the completion of a comprehensive disaster preparedness program and its eventual implementation.” `
”We can save lives by ensuring that sturdy and typhoon-resilient, climate change-adaptive evacuation centers are located at a distance safe from waters and landslide-prone areas in every two to three contiguous barangays," the opposition leader said.