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EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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F/rst Regular Session 
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S enate
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SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 1228
RECEi.'-D BY: _
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE “BONG” T. GO
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A MANDATORY EVACUATION CENTER IN ALL CITIES PROVINPPc; 
AND MUNICIPALITIES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article II, Section 5 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that "[t]he 
maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty, and property, and
promotion of the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment by all the people of 
the blessings of democracy.”
The Philippines is highly vulnerable to natural hazards, attributed primarily to 
the country’s location. The country is positioned along the so-called “Pacific Ring of 
Fire, an area where earthquakes and volcanic activities are more frequent than in 
any other part of the world. Further, the country fronts the Pacific Ocean, exposing it 
to a high number of typhoons and related weather disturbances annually: with the 
onset of climate change, these extreme disturbances will only serve to drastically 
increase the severity of natural disasters.
When these disasters strike, the Filipinos, especially the underprivileged, 
suffer the most. In most instances, these disasters render their homes unlivable, 
leaving the victims without roofs above their heads and food on their plates. Hence,
It IS high time that the State establish evacuation centers in all cities, provinces, and 
municipalities which will cater to the basic needs of the victims of these disasters 
and provide them temporary shelters that will guarantee their safety, promote their


social wellbeing, and guard their welfare while they recover and rebuild their homes 
and their lives.
The construction and maintenance of evacuation centers in all localities shall 
be in implemented by a coordinated Department of Public Works and Highways, the 
LGUs concerned, and other line agencies. This will strengthen preparation and 
improve response capacity for future disasters.
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this m e^ure is earnestly sought.
SENATOR CHRISI0W ER LAWRENCE “ BONG” T. GO


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EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
F/'rst Regular Session
SENATE
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'1^ 
DEC 10 P5 56
Senate Bill No. 1228 REctiVtOBv
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE “BONG” T. GO
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AN ACT
ESTABL'SHING A MANDATORY EVACUATION CENTER IN ALL CITIES PROVINCES 
AND MUNICIPALITIES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
Section 1. Title of the Act. -  This Act shall be known as the “Mandatory 
Evacuation Center Act of 2019.”
Sec. 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
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establishment of an evacuation center shall be undertaken in all cities, provinces,
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and municipalities to address the vulnerability of the Philippines to the impacts of
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climate change and other human-made disasters. This is also to strengthen the
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country’s institutional capacity for building the resilience of local communities to
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adhere and adopt the universal standards of humanitarian assistance.
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Sec. 3. Establishment/Construction of Evacuation Centers. -  There shall be
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an established evacuation center in every city, province and municipality throughout
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the country which shall provide basic needs and assistance to all evacuees, and
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shall serve as their temporary shelter that will guarantee the safety and wellbeing of
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all who have become victims of natural calamities or any other hazards/emergency
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events such as, typhoons, floods, fire, storm surges, weather disturbances and


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outbreak of illnesses/diseases that may cause imminent clanger to their life and 
property.
Sec. 4 Evacuation Center Requirements. -  The follow ing shall be the
minimum requirements for every evacuation center that will be established under 
this Act:
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 m ust be of a safe distance from  large trees, stru ctu re s w here 
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.
Structurai/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


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the “National Building Code of the Philippines” and should be at par w ith 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 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) m eters in height and 
designed in accordance with earthquake load standards.
Arnsnities 3nd Accsssibility of tho Ev3cu3tion Contor— 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;


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b. Separate Shower and toilet facilities designated for males and females, 
with a facility-to-user ratio of 1:20 persons;
c. Am enities to enable access thereto by and accom m odation o f the 
disabled:
d. Provisions for emergency/exit doors;
e. Food preparation areas which are provided with adequate ventilation;
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Trash and waste 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
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Other facilities prescribed in DSWD-DILG-DOH-DepED Joint Memorandum
Circular No. 1 Series of 2013, entitled “Guidelines on Evacuation Center 
and Management.”
Sec. 5. Operations and Management of the Evacuation Center. -  The LGUs 
concerned shall be prim arily 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 Provincial/City/Municipal Engineer and/or the building official at least 
once every year and immediately after the occurrence of a hazard or disaster event.


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Sec. 6. Role of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management 
Council. -  The N ational D isaster Risk Reduction and M anagem ent C ouncil
(NDRRMC), or its successor, shall be the primary lead agency which shall oversee 
the implementation of this act.
Sec. 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 am ounts 
necessary for the construction and maintenance of evacuation centers shall be
in clu d e d  in the lis t of program s as pa rt of annual budget in the G eneral 
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 & Management Council (LDRRMC), or its successor.
Sec. 7. Implementing Rules and Regulations. -  Within ninety days (90) after
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the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Local Interior and Local Government
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(DILG) and the DPWH, in coordination with the appropriate government agencies
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concerned, shall formulate the necessary rules and regulations necessary to carry
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out the objectives of this Act.
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Sec. 8. Separability Clause. -  If any provision of this Act is held invalid or
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unconstitutional, other provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full
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force and effect.
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Sec. 9. Repealing Clause. -  All laws, decrees, executive orders, or parts
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thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended,
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or modified accordingly.
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Sec. 10. Effectivity Clause. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after 
its com plete publication in the O fficial Gazette or at least two (2) national 
newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,