~ KERRESENTATIVES

Republic of the Philippines RECEIVED

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES _ 20 wl 2015
Quezon City et -

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No._1763

Introduced by BAYAN MUNA.
Rep. CARLOS ISAGANI ZARATE

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING IN EVERY TWO TO THREE CONTIGUOUS BARANGAYS A
PERMANENT EVACUATION CENTER (PEC) THAT IS BIG ENOUGH TO
ACCOMMODATE THE TARGET POPULATION, STRONG ENOUGH TO
WITHSTAND NATURAL CALAMITIES AND SITUATED AWAY FROM WATERS
AND LANDSLIDE-PRONE AREAS, WHICH SHALL LIKEWISE SERVE AS THE
CENTRAL DISASTER RISK REDUCTION MANAGEMENT INSTITUTION PER
RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

What had been abnormal weather pattems before have now become the new normal ones. Thus,
it is now a fact we have to accept and live by—climate change has transformed natural calamities
into more disastrous and more deadly types. People now have to start adjusting to this reality and
take positive steps to mitigate, to the least possible, effects of disasters that might be even worse

than we could imagine.

Indeed, nobody ever thought that the strong winds and fury released by typhoon Yolanda in
2013 would reach sustained winds of up to a record-breaking 315 kph. Before Yolanda, the
world strongest recorded by far was Hurricane Camille in 1969 with 305 kph of sustained winds
(Wikipedia).

Coupled by the unexpected storm surge that brought waters tising up to almost 20 feet high,
nobody among the Typhoon Yolanda victims ever imagined that it would be like the more
familiar tsunami that inundated everything and literally fattened their communities the moment
it subsided.

Some school buildings used as evacuation centers during the pre-emptive evacuation in some
areas in Visayas for typhoon Yolanda were also not spared because of the misinformation of a
storm surge. Numerous evacuees actually died in the said schoo! buildings.


Schools have always been commonly used as evacuation centers in many calamity-stricken
localities. The problem is that schools are not made to accommodate families in distress because
these are not usually equipped with enough facilites such as comfort rooms, kitchens, or

sleeping areas to lessen the discomfort of families having to leave their homes to save their lives.

In fact, schools should not and are not supposed to be used as evacuation centers because the
children’s education are the most affected especially in situations when things should have
started to get normal after each calamity, natural or even man-made. Yet, families cannot yet
vacate the school premises because their houses have not yet been repaired nor constructed.
This practice of using schools as evacuation centers has to stop to cushion the impact of
calamities and disasters, especially on the children.

In the absence still of a comprehensive disaster reduction and risk plan, itis imperative that
evacuation centers be constructed in a location, that serves as center to two or three contiguous
barangays, strong enough to withstand typhoons like Yolanda and are climate change-adaptive.
This bill seeks not only to establish a permanent evacuation center to every communities in this
country, it likewise secks to have such permanent evacuation serve as the central disaster risk
reduction management (ORRM) institutional infrastructure in every communities. This means
that these permanent evacuation centers shall not only be for the purpose of sheltering evacuees,
but shall also serve as the infrastructure which the national and local government could
effectively implement and deliver their DRRM policies. In turn, these shall serve as the primary
institute for communities in prepating for disasters and calamities, information campaign on
DRRM, among others,

[As lesson learned from Yolanda and even from previous typhoons that had wrought almost the
same damage to affected areas, evacuation centers should be constructed in areas at a distance
safe from waters and landslide-prone areas

Lives have been wasted because of the negligence on the part of the government to ensure that a
program for the disaster preparedness and risk reduction would really lessen the impact of
calamities on the lives of the people.

Meantime, the fact that the Philippines is a country often visited by typhoons yearly, the
{government has to undertake measures while waiting for the completion of a comprehensive
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.

Based on the foregoing, the approval of this Bill is earnestly sought.

Approved,

Rep. SBAZe Leen

Bayan Muna Partylst


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

1763

HOUSE BILL No.

Introduced by BAYAN MUNA Rep. CARLOS ISAGANI ZARATE,

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING IN EVERY TWO TO THREE CONTIGUOUS BARANGAYS A.
PERMANENT EVACUATION CENTER (PEC) THAT IS BIG ENOUGH TO
ACCOMMODATE THE TARGET POPULATION, STRONG ENOUGH TO
WITHSTAND NATURAL CALAMITIES AND SITUATED AWAY FROM WATERS
AND LANDSLIDE-PRONE AREAS, WHICH SHALL LIKEWISE SERVE AS THE
CENTRAL DISASTER RISK REDUCTION MANAGEMENT INSTITUTION PER
RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES

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

SECTION 1. Declaration of Policy.— It is the policy of the State to uphold the people's
constitutional rights to life and property by strengthening both the institutional capacity of the

country’s disaster risk reduction and management policy and the resilience of our communities
against disasters through the creation of social infrastructures such as permanent evacuation
centers.

SECTION 2. Establishment of Community-based Permanent Evacuation Centers —
‘There shall be created a permanent evacuation center located in the center of every two to three
contiguous barangays nationwide 0 accommodate the population of the contiguous
communities

‘These evacuation centers shall be designed to withstand wind speed of at least 300
kilometers per hour and moderate seismic activity of at least 8.0-magnitude. Evacuation centers
should have the following essential facilities and equipment:

a) Cubicles which could house at least five (6) families;
b)_ Restrooms;

©) Centralized kitchen and laundey areas;

d) A generator;

©) Sufficient water supply;

f) DRRM taining facilities;

g) Rainwater catchment system;


h) A clinic which will house sufficient and necessary medical equipment, as well as a
counseling area;

i) Offices for Social welfare and Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council
(LDDRMC) personnel;

j) Appropriate natural ventilations;

k)Stockroom for relief goods; and

}) Such other physical provisions guaranteeing humane conditions for evacuees

SECTION 3. Site Location—In the selection of sites of the evacuation centers, the agencies
herein mentioned should consider site stability and susceptibility to landslide or flooding based
on the latest vulnerability and risk assessment and geohazard maps of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources. They shall also put prime consideration on public
accessibility and the community-based present within the targeted area for construction.

SECTION 4. PECs as Central DRRM Institutions of Communities—To further realize
DRRM in its community-based orientation, permanent evacuation centers shall serve as the
central DRRM institution of communities, as an institute to train and ready communities for
disasters. The LDRRMC shall regularly hold DRRM training activities and information campaign
at their respective PECs. The permanent evacuation center shall likewise house the LDRRMC.
operation center, to further integrate the national and local DRRM agencies and policies to the
communities;

SECTION 5. Operations and Maintenance of Evacuation Centers.—Upon completion of
the permanent evacuation center, the NDRRMC shall turn over the same to the respective Local
Government Units (LGUs) which shall then have the responsibility over the management,
operations and maintenance of their respective permanent evacuation centers. The NDDRMC
and the LGUs shall enter a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to maintain the national-local
coordination in ensuring that the standards and qualifications in the establishment and
maintenance of the permanent evacuation centers are regularly met.

SECTION 6. Implementing Agencies-—The NDRRMC shall be the lead agency in ensuring
that the requirements for such an evacuation center are met in accordance with the National
Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan. The lead agency shall coordinate with the
Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Public Works and Highways in
the planning and construction of such facilites.

SECTION 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations—Vhe NDRRMC shall, within sixty
(60) days from the effectivity of this Act, prepare the implementing rules and regulations
necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act;

SECTION 8. Appropziations. — The amount of Ten Billion Pesos (P10,000,000,000) is
hereby appropriated to the NORRMC for the initial implementation of this Act. The lead agency
shall first prioritize areas that are identified as disaster prone. Thereafter, such sum as may be
ary for the establishment of permanent evacuation centers throughout the whole country
shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.

neces

SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. — All laws, executive and administrative orders or parts
thereof, inconsistent with any provision of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

4


SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause.—This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following

the completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in a national newspaper of general
circulation.

Approved,