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Republic of the Philippines ‘y iS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City YUL 27 2022
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NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

2542

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by: Hon. Keith Micah “Atty. Mike” D.L. Tan

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING EVACUATION CENTERS IN EVERY CITY AND MUNICIPALITY, AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Philippines ranked 17" in the world as the most affected country from extreme
weather events in the Global Climate Risk Index (CR!) 2021. The country got a score of 26.67
using 2019 data. In 2018, it ranked 2"! in the index with a score of 11.17, the lowest during the
2015-2019 period.

The country is prone to disasters and hazards due to its geography and geology. The
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (NDRRMP) provides the following facts,
which are instructive regarding the occurrence of disasters and hazards in the country:

- Tropical cyclones and its sequential effects of rain and windstorms, as well as floods
are the most prevalent types of hydro-meteorological hazards in the country. Between 1997
and 2007, eighty- four (84) tropical cyclones entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).
These typhoons resulted to a total of 13,155 in human casualty and more than 51 million
families have been affected.

- Environmental factors such as denuded forests aggravate flood risks. Even now, the
effects of loose soil and reduced forest cover from past forestry activities are felt in frequent
landslides and floods. Recent events show that the annual monsoon season in the country has
brought severe flooding in most areas.

- In 2011, most of the disasters that claimed the lives of people and affected properties
and livelihoods of the most vulnerable were brought about by increased rainfall which caused
massive flash flooding in areas which don’t normally experience such.

the Philippines is situated along a highly seismic area lying along the Pacific Ring of
Fire and is highly-prone to earthquakes. According to the Philippine Institute on Volcanology
and Seismology (PHIVLOCS), the country experiences an average of five (5) earthquakes a day.
Earthquake disasters are not as frequent as the typhoons and flooding that take place in the
Philippines. Nevertheless, the impact generated on affected communities is usually massive and
devastating.

- The Philippines is ... prone to volcanic eruptions being situated along the Pacific Ring of
Fire where two major tectonic plates (Philippine Sea and Eurasian) meet. This explains the
occurrence of earthquakes and tsunamis and the existence of around 300 volcanoes of which
22 are active.

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- In an analysis of natural disaster hotspots by the Hazard Management Unit of the
World Bank in 2005, the Philippines is among the countries where large percentages of
population reside in disaster prone areas. In the 2011 World Risk Report published by United
Nations University and the Institute of Environment and Human Security, looking into the four
components of risk (exposure, susceptibility, coping and adapt capacities), the Philippines is the
third most disaster risk country worldwide.

- Aside from natural causes, the country also experiences human-induced disasters.
These are brought about by hazards that are of political and socio-economic origins, among
others. Many are forced to evacuate during times of conflict. Violence continues to plague the
country, with most of the fighting in the South. Intense fighting between government forces
and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) during the first half of year 2009 resulted in the
displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians. The government and the MILF decided to
lay down their arms and work toward peace accord that had failed in 2009 in Malaysia. On the
other hand, the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), labelled a terrorist organization, continued to carry
out bombings and rebels were killed during clashes with the military in the latter part of 2009.
These human-induced disasters caused by armed fightings in the South continue to threaten
the security of civilian communities which result into the displacement of thousands of civilians.
So long as there is no peace settlement mechanism in Mindanao, internally displaced civilians
will remain a given collateral damage of every armed conflict. Such disasters consequently
cause public anxiety, lost of lives, destruction of properties and sometimes socio-political
stability.

In view of the foregoing, this measure aims to establish standard-based relief shelters
and sites throughout the country with the end in view of decongesting temporary evacuation
centers in public schools and private facilities. The bill addresses the need to prioritize the
needs of vulnerable individuals and groups. Congestion in most evacuation centers usually puts
at risk senior citizens, the disabled, children and pregnant women who are more vulnerable to
diseases. Moreover, this proposal can minimize the loss of lives by bringing the evacuation
centers nearer to the populace and at the most accessible and safe areas.

Due to the country’s vulnerability to natural disasters, it is imperative to device long-
term response to this unpleasant situation by establishing permanent evacuation centers
throughout the country consistent with the identified outcomes of the NDRRMP, particularly in
providing adequate temporary shelters.

The NDRRMP specifically states that, “Disasters leave many people homeless.
Temporary shelters in some ways provide a measure of comfort safety for victims. The
provision of adequate temporary shelters is of invaluable importance during cataclysmic times.
It is about a temporary “home” where people, their sources of livelihoods and important
valuables find refuge in times of disasters. Temporary shelters are not just about structures - a
lot of things need to be considered both before, during and after a disaster happens.”

In view thereof, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.
So

Keith Micah “Atty. Mike” D.L. Tan
4th District, Quezon


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

2542

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by: Hon. Keith Micah “Atty. Mike” D.L. Tan

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING EVACUATION CENTERS IN EVERY CITY AND MUNICIPALITY, AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

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

SEC. 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. 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. 2. 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 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.

SEC. 3. 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 criteri

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 center 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 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. 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.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 5. 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 evacuation centers; 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.

SEC. 6. 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. 7. 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. 8. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the initial implementation to fund
the construction and maintenance of multi-purpose gyms to serve as evacuation centers shall
be charged against the budget provided 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. 9. Separability Clause. - \f 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.

SEC. 10. 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.

SEC. 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,