Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by  
REPRESENTATIVE FRANZ S. PUMAREN 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Due to its geographical location, the Philippines is highly vulnerable to numerous natural 
disasters, including tropical cyclones, earthquakes, and flooding. Located at the “Pacific Ring of 
Fire” and possessing twenty-two (22) active volcanoes, the country experiences a considerable 
number of tectonic activities. Similarly, as the country is situated in the Northwestern Pacific 
Basin, the Philippines experiences an average of 20 tropical cyclones annually, the most 
destructive and strongest of which are Typhoons Yolanda in 2013 and Rolly in 2020. 
The Philippines ranked eighth (8th) in disaster risk among all countries with the highest 
risks worldwide (second rank in Asia, next to Brunei Darussalam), according to the 2021 World 
Risk Report, with an index value of 21.39%.1 According to the report, the country’s exposure 
(determined by geographical characteristics) and vulnerability (determined by social, physical, 
economic, and environmental factors that make people vulnerable to hazards) are rated Very 
High (at 42.30%) and High (at 49.55%) respectively. Similarly, the World Bank’s Global Facility 
for Disaster Reduction and Recovery estimated that “at least 60% of the country’s total land area 
is exposed to multiple hazards, and 74% of the population is susceptible to their impact.”2  
Damages due to the country’s exposure to several natural disasters are massive. 
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, damages to agriculture, infrastructure, 
communications, and private properties incurred by natural events and disasters from 2010 to 
2019 alone, amounted to Php 463 Billion. Since 1990, according to a publication by the Asian 
Development Bank, an estimated $23 Billion or Php 1.4 Trillion in damages was lost due to the 
more than 500 disaster events that affected the country. 
1 World Risk Report 2021, World Economic Forum. 
2 Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery 2017, World Bank. 
July 22, 2022
11:28 am
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Due to these above-stated facts, establishing a better program to effectively curb the 
effects of natural disasters, protect the lives and properties of the Filipinos, and strengthen the 
country’s preparedness and response against hazards is a must. The Constitution provides the 
State’s role in maintaining and protecting the life, liberty, and property of its citizens. Hence, it is 
imperative for the State to establish evacuation centers in all provinces, cities, and municipalities 
to cater to the needs and guarantee the safety of disaster victims while simultaneously promoting 
their welfare. 
Given the foregoing, the passage of this measure is earnestly sought. 
FRANZ S. PUMAREN 
     3rd District, Quezon City 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by  
REPRESENTATIVE FRANZ S. PUMAREN 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING A MANDATORY EVACUATION CENTER IN  
EVERY PROVINCE, CITY, AND MUNICIPALITY IN THE COUNTRY 
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Mandatory Evacuation Center Act of 
2022”. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the State to protect the 
people’s right to life and property that is rooted and embedded in our Constitution, and to promote 
their general welfare. It is for this reason that the establishment of an evacuation center shall be 
undertaken in all cities, provinces, and municipalities to address the vulnerability of the Philippines 
to the impacts of climate change and other human-made disasters. This is also to strengthen the 
country’s institutional capacity for building the resilience of local communities to adhere and adopt 
the universal standards of humanitarian assistance. 
SECTION 3. Establishment/Construction of Evacuation Centers. – There shall be an established 
evacuation center in every city, province, and municipality throughout the country which shall 
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provide basic needs and assistance to all evacuees, and shall serve as their temporary shelter 
that will guarantee the safety and well-being of all who have become victims of natural calamities 
or any other hazards/emergency events such as typhoons, floods, fire, storm surges, weather 
disturbances, and outbreak of illnesses/diseases that may cause imminent danger to their life and 
property. 
 
SECTION 4. Evacuation Center 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. The location shall be determined based on the 
following criteria: 
 
a. It must be centrally located in the community; 
b. It must be of a safe distance from large trees, structures where hazardous 
materials are used and/or stored, or high-voltage power lines; 
c. It must be near a health facility; 
d. It must be located on geotechnical stable land to avoid risk of landslides and/or 
exposure to potential landslide of adjacent lands; 
e. 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/Building Capacity – The evacuation centers shall be constructed and 
designed to withstand super typhoons or wind speeds of at least three hundred (300) 
kilometers per hour and seismic activity of at least 8.0 magnitude. Evacuation centers 
should be calamity-resilient, be built with sturdy materials, and be built in accordance 
with the specifications of Republic Act No. 6541, otherwise known as the “National 
Building Code of the Philippines” and should 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 and formulating the building specifications therefor 
based on standards, issuances, and other guidelines set by the DPWH. 
 
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 structural capacity should at least meet the following parameters: 
 
a. The structure must be elevated in such a manner that it will withstand likely impact 
from a high tide storm surge level of at least ten (10) meters; 
b. 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 
c. The structure shall not be less than nine (9) meters in height and designed in 
accordance with earthquake load standards. 
 
C. Amenities and Accessibility of the Evacuation Center. – The evacuation centers shall 
be well-ventilated and shall have the capacity to accommodate a large number of 
evacuees. The centers shall have the following minimum amenities: 
 
a. Sleeping quarters for the evacuees; 
b. Separate shower and toilet facilities designated for males and females, with a 
facility-to-user ratio of 1:20 persons; 
c. Amenities to enable access thereto by and accommodation of the disabled; 
d. Provisions for emergency/exit doors; 
e. Food preparation areas which are provided with adequate ventilation; 
f. Trash and waster segregation and collection areas; 
g. Health care areas which shall include an isolation and/or quarantine area for 
potentially infectious persons; 


h. Rainwater harvesting and collection facilities; and 
i. 
Other facilities prescribed in DSWD-DILG-DOH-DepEd Joint Memorandum Circular 
No. 1 Series of 2013, entitled “Guidelines on Evacuation Center and Management.” 
 
SECTION 5. Operations and Management of the Evacuation Center. – 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 the 
proper use and maintenance of the evacuation centers. 
 
The mandatory audit of infrastructures used as evacuation centers shall be conducted by the 
Provincial/City/Municipal Engineer and/or the building official at least once every year and 
immediately after the occurrence of a hazard or disaster. 
 
SECTION 6. Role of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. – The 
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), or its successor, shall be 
the primary lead agency that shall oversee the implementation of this Act. 
 
SECTION 7. Appropriations. – The amount necessary to fund the construction and maintenance 
of evacuation centers under this Act shall be sourced from a portion of the general appropriations 
of the DPWH. Every year thereafter, the amounts necessary for the construction and maintenance 
of evacuation centers shall be included in the list of programs as part of the annual budget in the 
General Appropriations Act. 
 
The appropriations necessary for the operation and management of the evacuation centers shall 
be charged against the funds of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council 
(LDRRMC), or its successor. 
 
SECTION 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) days after the effectivity 
of this Act, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the DPWH, in 
coordination with the appropriate government agencies concerned, shall formulate the necessary 
rules and regulations necessary to carry out the objectives of this Act. 
 


SECTION 9. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part of this Act is declared invalid or 
unconstitutional, other provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect. 
 
SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. – All other laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations, other 
issuances, rules, and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are 
hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 11. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
 
Approved,