NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
)
First Regular Session
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE BILL NO. ____
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE VIRGILIO S. LACSON
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This bill seeks to provide for the construction of a disaster-resilient multi-purpose
building in a strategic area in every city and municipality in the country.
The Philippines is situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire. While our geographical location
brings us abundant resources such as diverse flora and fauna, and beautiful beaches, it is a
double-edged sword. It likewise makes us susceptible to natural hazards, unforeseen disasters,
such as typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and other natural calamities.
The occurrence of various natural calamities in the country has deeply affected the lives
of the Filipino, and many of those who are affected are underprivileged individuals who have
limited access to safer spaces.
The current practice in our country is to use public school buildings as evacuation centers
in times of disaster. This practice is not only insufficient to cater to the needs of the people, but
also disruptive. This practice causes disturbance in the schedule and education of our school
children. Most of these school establishments are not built to withstand strong typhoons, and
high-magnitude earthquakes. The continuous use of school buildings may put many of the
evacuees in dire danger.
Thus, there is an urgent need for the State to establish a sturdy structurally-sound
permanent building that can be used as temporary safe haven for evacuation in every city and
municipality.
For the foregoing reasons, the immediate passage of this bill is prayed for.
VIRGILIO S. LACSON
Manila Teachers Party-list
September 22, 2022
5:20 pm
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NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
)
First Regular Session
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE BILL NO. ____
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE VIRGILIO S. LACSON
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A DISASTER-RESILIENT MULTI-PURPOSE BUILDING
IN ALL
CITIES, 
PROVINCES
AND
MUNICIPALITIES,
APPROPRIATING
FUNDS
THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in  Congress
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy. – It shall be the policy of the State to uphold the 
constitutional right of the people for the protection of their life and property and the promotion of
the general welfare by addressing the cause of vulnerabilities to disasters and strengthening the
institutional capacity or resilience of local communities to disasters.
Towards
this
end,
the
State, shall establish and maintain a fully-equipped and
fully-operational disaster-resilient multipurpose building, in recognition of the vulnerability of
the Philippines to climate change, the occurrence of severe floods, typhoons, and other natural or
human-induced disasters, illnesses, diseases and other factors that affect the environment. 
SECTION 2. Establishment of Disaster-Resilient Multipurpose Buildings. – There shall
be established a disaster-resilient multipurpose building in every city, and municipality in the
country which shall function as an immediate and temporary accommodation for people who
have been evacuated or displaced from their homes due to emergency events such as earthquakes,
typhoons, floods, storm surges, drought and other severe climate disturbances, as well as fire, and
the outbreak of illnesses and diseases that present imminent danger to life and property. 
Existing structures that would meet the minimum requirements or could be upgraded to
effectively serve as evacuation centers could be designated as such in compliance with the local
government unit concerned. 
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SECTION 3. Requirements. – The following shall be the minimum requirements for
every multipurpose building that will be established under this Act: 
a. Location Designation – Each location for every evacuation center shall be determined
by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), in close coordination with
the LGUs concerned. 
The location shall be determined based on the following criteria: 
1. It must be centrally located in the community; 
2. It must be of a safe distance from large trees, structures where hazardous materials are
used and stored, or high-voltage power lines; 
3. It must be near a health facility; 
4. It must be located on geotechnically stable land to avoid risk of landslides or  exposure
to potential landslide of adjacent lands; 
5. It must not be located near military base camps, camps of insurgent groups, power
plants, factories, and other areas where the occurrence of human induced disasters are very
high. 
b. Structural and Building Capacity – The multi-purpose building shall be constructed
and designed to withstand super typhoons or wind speeds of at least three hundred kilometers per
hour (300 kph) and seismic activity of at least 8.0 magnitude. The structure must be
disaster-resilient, built with sturdy materials, and in accordance with the specifications of
Republic Act No. 6541, otherwise known as the “National Building Code of the Philippines” or
shall be at par with the standards set by the International Building Code. 
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) shall be in charge of the
construction of evacuation centers, including the formulation of building specifications and shall
ensure that the same are based on standards, issuances, and other guidelines set by the DPWH,
and are compliant with the provisions of the National Building Code. The DPWH shall also
ensure that the construction of such evacuation centers is in accordance with the abovementioned
requirements during its construction phase. In the construction of multi-purpose buildings, the
DPWH shall coordinate with the Local Government Units concerned to determine the suitability
of the prescribed specifications, based on the total number of inhabitants in the area.
The specifications of the evacuation centers shall be periodically reviewed and, if
necessary, revised by the DPWH every three (3) years. 
The multi-purpose building must at least meet the following parameters:
1. The structure must be elevated, in such a manner that is safely above the  reach of a
high tide storm surge level of at least ten (10) meters; 


2. The structure must be a minimum of one (1) meter above the average flood level in the
area where the same shall be built; and 
3. The structure shall not be less than nine (9) meters in height and shall be designed in
accordance with earthquake load standards. 
c. Amenities and Accessibility. – The evacuation centers shall be well ventilated and shall
have the capacity to accommodate a large number of evacuees. The evacuation center shall have
the following minimum amenities:
1. Sleeping quarters
2. Separate shower and toilet facilities designated for males and females, with one (1)
facility for every twenty (20) persons; 
3. Amenities to enable access thereto by persons with disabilities;
4. Emergency exit doors; 
5. Food preparation areas with adequate ventilation; 
6. Trash and waste segregation and collection areas; 
7. Health care areas which shall include an isolation or quarantine area for potentially
infectious persons; 
8. Rainwater harvesting and collection facilities; and 
9. Other facilities as may be prescribed by the appropriate authorities. 
SECTION 4. Operation and Management. – The LGUs concerned shall be primarily
responsible for the operation, supervision, and management of evacuation centers established
under this Act. They are also hereby authorized to issue rules and regulations on their proper use
and maintenance. 
The local sanggunian shall promulgate guidelines and procedures for the use and operation
of the evacuation center under its jurisdiction. The guidelines shall prescribe rules on the
utilization of the evacuation center when it is not used as such. Provided, That the evacuation
center may only be used for such other activities or purposes that involve the use of collapsible
amenities only and those that shall not in any way compromise the serviceability of the
evacuation center or impede the use thereof when a disaster occurs: Provided further, That the
LGU shall impose such penalties as may be deemed proper on the organizers of authorized
activities when the evacuation center suffers any damage, defacement, or loss during or as a
result of such activities. 
The mandatory audit of infrastructures used as evacuation centers shall be conducted by
the City or Municipality at least once every year and immediately after the occurrence of a
hazard or disaster. 


SECTION 5. Construction Priority. – The DPWH shall give priority to barangays whose
residents volunteer labor services in the construction thereof and for this purpose, the DPWH
shall issue guidelines and receive applications therefor. Barangays that are located in disaster
prone areas shall be given the high
SECTION 6. Role of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
(NDRRMC). – The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)
shall be the lead implementing agency of this Act. It shall give utmost priority to those areas of
the country that (a) are identified as disaster prone; (b) are financially incapable to establish their
own disaster-resilient multi-purpose buildings; and (c) do not have existing evacuation centers of
their own. 
It shall enter into memoranda of agreement (MOA) with the concerned LGUs for  the
maintenance, operation, and management of a permanent evacuation center in  their respective
areas of jurisdiction. It shall provide technical assistance and support  services to these LGUs in
the management of the facility. 
Local chief executives concerned shall evaluate and provide suitable sites for evacuation
centers to determine their geographical stability, and public accessibility in times of disasters.
They shall provide for the maintenance, operation, and management of the facility 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. 
SECTION 7. 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 the multi-purpose buildings 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. 
SECTION 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within sixty (60) days from the
effectivity of this Act, the NDRRMC shall, 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, promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to carry out the
provisions of this Act. 
SECTION 9. Appropriations. – The amount necessary for the initial implementation to
fund the construction and maintenance of multi-purpose buildings to serve shall be charged
against the budget provided for this purpose under the DPWH. Thereafter, such amounts
necessary for the construction of multipurpose buildings shall be included in the annual General


Appropriations Act. The LGU concerned shall provide the continued maintenance, operation and
management of the facility. 
SECTION 10. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part thereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provisions not otherwise affected shall  remain
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 11. 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 or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 12. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication
in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved,