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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______ 
Introduced by Hon. MARVIN C. RILLO 
Representative, Fourth District, Quezon City 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The vulnerability to frequent climate-related catastrophes could be 
attributed to the fact that the Philippines is located along the Pacific Ring of 
Fire, where several earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.  
This bill seeks to establish and maintain a fully equipped and fully 
operational evacuation center, responsive to environmental or climatic events, 
in every city and municipality in recognition of this vulnerability. This is to 
provide immediate and temporary accommodation for people who have been 
evacuated or displaced from their homes due to emergency events and 
outbreak of illnesses and diseases that present imminent danger to life and 
property. 
On behalf of the people of the Fourth District of Quezon City, the 
approval of this Bill is earnestly sought.    
 MARVIN C. RILLO 
 Representative 
 4th District, Quezon City 
December 11, 2023
5:39 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______ 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE MARVIN C. RILLO 
“AN ACT ESTABLISHING MANDATORY EVACUATION CENTERS 
IN EVERY CITY AND MUNICIPALITY, AND APPROPRIATING 
FUNDS THEREFOR” 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representative of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. -  This Act shall be known as the “Mandatory 
Evacuation Centers of 2023” 
SEC. 2. 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. Towards this end, the State 
shall establish and maintain a fully equipped and fully operational evacuation 
center, responsive to environmental or climatic events, 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. 
SEC. 3. Establishment of Evacuation Centers. - There shall be 
established an evacuation center in every 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, floods, storm surges, drought and 9ther 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.  
SEC. 4. Requirements. - The following shall be the minimum 
requirements for every Evacuation Center 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.
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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 Evacuation Centers 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 
calamity-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. 
 
The specifications of the Evacuation Centers shall be periodically 
reviewed and, if necessary, revised by the DPWH every three (3) 
years. 
 
The Evacuation Centers 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: 


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1. 
Sleeping quarters for the evacuees; 
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. 
Healthcare 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. 
 
SEC. 5. 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 Evacuations Centers 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 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.  
 
SEC. 6. Role of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and 
Management Council (NDRRMC) and Progressive Realization of this Act. - 
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) 
shall be the lead implementing agency of this Act. The objectives of this Act 
shall be realized progressively. In implementing this Act, the NDRRMC shall 
prioritize the construction of Evacuation Centers based on the LGUs: (a) 
vulnerability to disasters/calamities; (b) financial capability; and (c) existing 
evacuation centers suitable to their needs. 
 
The NDRRMC 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 


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population based on acceptable standards during or immediately after a 
disaster.  
 
SEC.  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 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. 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.  
 
SEC. 9. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the initial 
implementation to fund the construction and maintenance of multipurpose 
gyms to serve as evacuation centers shall be charged against the budget for 
this purpose under the DPWH. Thereafter, such amounts necessary for the 
construction of multipurpose gyms as evacuation centers shall be included in 
the Annual General Appropriations Act. The LGU concerned shall provide the 
continued maintenance, operation, and management of the facility.  
 
SEC. 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision, section, or part of this 
Act shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid, such judgement shall not 
affect, invalidate or impair any other provisions, sections or parts hereof.  
 
SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive 
orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 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. 
 
 
 
                                                                    MARVIN C. RILLO 
 Representative 
 4th District, Quezon City