Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. Okie

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ
———

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries in the
world affected by climatic events such as hydro-meteorological
hazards like typhoons and floods. The Philippines sit in the typhoon
belt making dangerous storms hitting the country. On an average,
at least twenty (20) storms or tropical cyclones visits the Philippines
or enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility, and almost half of
these crossed or made landfalls affecting the lives, properties and
crops of the people. It is not only the rain and wind that impacts the
lives of the people but also the flooding brought about by the rain.

The vulnerability of the people to these hydro-meteorological
hazards is aggravated by the denudation of the forest and shallowing
of the inland water systems. During storms, flooding is a common
occurrence, destroying homes, properties and livelihood of the
people.

Aside from the aforementioned, the Philippines is also part of
the Pacific Ring of Fire and affected by seismic activities of the two
major tectonic plates, Eurasian and Philippine plates. Recently,
Mindanao was devasted by a series of strong earthquakes, ranging
from Intensity 5 to 6, destroying properties and dislocating hundreds
of families from their homes and livelihood.


The squeezing of several micro-plate by these two convergent
plates has also resulted in several volcanoes along the subduction
line of these plates. The country has at least 20 active volcanoes, or
volcanoes that has erupted in the past hundred years and was
recorded by humans. The most recent is the eruption of Taal volcano
in Batangas last January 12, 2020, dislocating thousands of families
and destroying their homes, crops and livestock. Strong images of
the eruption were all over the social media, presenting the power of
nature and helplessness of the people. These natural events have
always negatively impacted the lives, properties and livelihood of the
people situated in these vulnerable areas of the country.

Aside from these natural disasters, there are also man-made
disasters affecting the lives and properties of the people. Our society
is afflicted by social divisions brought about by internal conflict
motivated by ideology and radical fundamentalism like the five (5)
decades old communist insurgency and the violent extremism in
southern Philippines. Marawi siege and the Zamboanga siege are
example of the devastation brought about by violent extremism,
dislocating thousands of families.

There is an urgent need for the country to prepare for the
eventual occurrences of these natural disasters, aside from man-
made disasters, by providing safe spaces for the affected people and
vulnerable sectors. Temporary and permanent housing is one of the
most humane way of addressing the negative impact of these natural
and man-made disasters.

The recent Taal volcano eruption has shown us the need for the
construction and provision of evacuation centers that will serve as
temporary shelter for the affected families and should also provide
for the livestock and other animals.

The use of school buildings as temporary shelter is untenable
since this will disrupt the education of the children and some the
school buildings are also damaged.

It is imperative for government to construct evacuation centers
that is safe, functional and sensitive to the needs and culture of the


communities in the most vulnerable parts of the country, prioritizing
those less capable of providing for said construction. This is the
intent of this measure.

In view thereof, passage of this bill is earnestly sought.

Owe.
ERIC OLIVAREZ


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Constitution Hills, Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No, 5074

——

Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ

—

AN ACT ESTABLISHING EVACUATION CENTERS IN EVERY
PROVINCE, CITY AND MUNICIPLAITY AND APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. Declaration of State Policy. - It is the policy of the
State to uphold the constitutional right of the people for the
protection of life and property and the promotion of the general
welfare. Towards this end, the State, in recognition of the
vulnerability of the Philippines to climate change, the occurrence of
severe floods, typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruption and other
natural or man-made calamities that affect the environment and lives
or the people, shall institutionalize the government’s effort to
establish and maintain fully-equipped and _fully-operational
evacuation centers and make them responsive to the environmental
or climatic events, and culturally sensitive to the locality.

Sec. 2. Establishment of Evacuation Centers. - There shall
be established an evacuation center in every province, city and


municipality in the country which shall provide immediate and
temporary accommodation for people who have been evacuated or
displaced from their homes due to emergency events such as
typhoons, flood, storm surges, drought, volcanic eruption and other
severe climatic events, as well as fire, and the outbreak of illness and
diseases that presents imminent danger to life and property.

Evacuation centers shall have, as far as practicable the
following essential facilities:

a. A centralized kitchen and laundry areas;

b. A clinic;

c. A stockroom;

d. A paging system room with security cameras;

e. An office for social welfare personnel;

f. A generator;

g. Gender-sensitive areas for women, specifically breastfeeding

mothers;

h. Separate comfort rooms for male and female;

i, A counseling area;

j. A garbage segregation facility;

k. A child friendly space and learning area;

1. Spaces for people’s livestock, poultry and pets;

m.Stockroom for relief goods;

n. Storm shelters as may be appropriate and necessary; and

o. Other essential facilities as may be determined by the

implementing agency.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) shall
be responsible in formulating the appropriate specifications for
evacuation centers and to ensure compliance with these
specifications during the construction of evacuation centers. It shall
consider the weather pattern, topographical features, climate, flexible
or alternative uses of space when it is not being used as an
evacuation area, and unique social condition, in the design and
construction of evacuation centers in every province, city and


municipality of the country to ensure that they shall withstand all
weather conditions and address the need of disaster victims for
humane temporary shelters and the public in general. The
specifications shall be periodically reviewed and, if necessary, revised
by the DPWH every three years.

Sec. 3. Role of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council (NDRRMC). - The National Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) shall be the lead
agency in implementing this Act. It shall give utmost priority to those
areas of the country that are (a) identified as disaster prone or
vulnerable; (b) financially incapable to establish their own evacuation
centers; and (c) do not have existing evacuation centers of their own.

It shall enter into memoranda of agreement (MOA) with the
concerned local government units (LGUs) for the maintenance,
operation and management ofa permanent evacuation center in their
respective areas of jurisdiction. It shall provide technical assistance
and support services to these LGUs in the management of evacuation
centers.

Local chief executives concerned shall evaluate and provide
suitable sites for evacuation centers base on their geographical
Suitability, geological stability, and public accessibility in times of
disasters. They shall provide for the maintenance, operation and
management of the evacuation centers taking into consideration the
goal of life preservation and meeting the basic subsistence needs of
affected population based on acceptable standards during or
immediately after a disaster.

Sec. 4. Coordination Among Agencies. - The NDRRMC shall
coordinate with the DPWH and the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST) with regard to the design specifications, cost
estimates and construction details of evacuation centers that will be
constructed pursuant to this Act.


Concerned government agencies and instrumentalities, when
necessary, shall provide assistance to the NDRRMC to ensure the
effective and efficient implementation of this Act.

Sec. 5. Operation and Maintenance of Evacuation Centers.
- The operation and management of evacuation center shall be under
the auspices of the LGU where the evacuation center is situated while
the DPWH shall be charged with the maintenance of evacuation
centers that will be constructed under this Act.

The local Sanggunian shall promulgate guidelines and
procedures for the use and operation of the evacuation center under
their jurisdiction. The guidelines shall include provisions on the use
of the evacuation center when it is not being utilized as an evacuation
center. Provided, however, that the evacuation center, when it is not
being utilized as such, may only be used for those activities or for
such purposes that shall not impede upon the need for its
instantaneous utilization as evacuation area such as a sports
complex, bazaar, or other similar facilities with collapsible amenities.

Sec. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The
NDRRMC in consultation with the DPWH, DOST, League of Cities of
the Philippines, League of Municipalities of the Philippines, and other
concerned government and private agencies shall, within sixty (60)
days to the effectivity of this Act, prepare the implementing rules and
regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.

Sec. 7. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the
implementation of this Act shall be charged to the appropriations of
the DPWH with respect to the construction and maintenance of
evacuation centers. For this purpose, the DPWH shall include in its
program and annual budget the maintenance of evacuation centers
established under this Act.

The amount necessary for the operation of the evacuation
centers shall be charged to the funds of the LDRRMC.


Thereafter, such sum as may be needed by the concerned
agencies for the continued implementation of this Act shall be
included in the annual General Appropriation Act.

Sec. 8. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part of
thereof, is held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law
or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain valid and
subsisting.

Sec. 9. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or
issuance, executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order,
rule or regulation contrary to, or inconsistent with the provisions of
this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended.

Sec. 10. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen
(15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper

of general circulation.

Approved,