EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session
)
SENATE 
S. No. 2325
FILED
TH.1E
WDEX
Introduced by SENATOR RAMON BONG REVILLA, 3R.
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING EVACUATION CENTERS IN EVERY CITY AND 
MUNICIPALITY, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries from climate change. 
Because of its geographic location in the Pacific Ocean, our country is visited by no 
iess than twenty typhoons e^ery year. The Philippines is also situated in the Ring of 
Fire, a belt characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. Being an 
archipelagic country, our islands are also exposed to threats of rising sea levels, storm 
surges and massive floods. In the Global Climate Risk Index 2021, the Philippines was 
identified as the fourth most affected country in the world by extreme weather events 
from 2000 to 2019.
Indeed, there is a need to mitigate the adverse impact of these disasters, 
paramount of which is the prevention of the loss of lives. There is a need to adapt to 
these occurrences, and heighten preparedness and community resilience during 
emergencies.
This measure aims to establish a vast network of fully-equipped and fully- 
operational evacuation centers in every city and municipality in the country which shall 
provide immediate and temporary accommodation for people who have been 
relocated or displaced from their homes due to emergency or natural calamities. It 
specifies the minimum requirements for its location, capacity and amenities to ensure 
the safety and humane living conditions of evacuees, as well as the roles and


responsibilities of concerned executive agencies and local government units in relation 
to its construction, operation and management.
This bill is also part of the updated Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022, in 
view of reducing vulnerabilities of Filipinos from environmental and natural risks. In 
view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is highly recommended.
RAMO^KBONG REVILLA, JR.


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Third Regular Session
)
SENATE 
S. No. 2325
FILED
X
Introduced by SENATOR RAMON BONG REVILLA, 3R.
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING EVACUATION CENTERS IN EVERY CITY AND 
MUNICIPALITY, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
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Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "City and Municipal
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Evacuation Centers Act"
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Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It shall be the policy of the State to uphold the
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constitutional right of the people for the protection of their life and property and the
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promotion of general welfare. Towards this end, the State, shall establish and maintain
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a fully-equipped and fully-operational evacuation center, responsive to environmental
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or climactic events, in recognition of the vulnerability of the Philippines to climate
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change, the occurrence of severe floods, typhoons, and other natural or human-
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induced disasters, illnesses, diseases and other factors that affect the environment.
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Sec. 3. Establishment of Evacuation Centers. - There shall be established an
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evacuation center in every city and municipality in the country which shall provide
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immediate and temporary accommodation for people who have been evacuated or
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displaced from their homes due to emergency events such as typhoons, floods, storm
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surges, drought and other severe climate disturbances, as well as fire, and the
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outbreak of illnesses and diseases that present imminent danger to life and property.
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Existing structures that would meet the minimum requirements or could be


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upgraded to effectively serve as evacuation centers could be designated as such in
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compliance with the local government unit concerned.
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Sec. 4. Requirements. - The following shall be the minimum requirements for
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every evacuation center that will be established under this Act:
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a) Location Designation. - Each location for every evacuation center shall be
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determined by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
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(DENR), in close coordination with the LGUs concerned.
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The location shall be determined based on the following criteria:
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1) It must be located on geotechnically stable land and safe areas not
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susceptible to landslides, flooding, storm surges, and other
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hydrological and meteorological hazards, based on the most current
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risk assessments using geo-hazard maps;
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2) It must be centrally and/or strategically located within the community
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to enable immediate access to basic goods, public utilities, and
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services, such as health care facilities, markets, water, electricity, and
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communication;
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3) It must not be located near military base camps, camps of insurgent
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groups, power plants or high voltage power lines, factories, structures
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where hazardous materials are used and stored, and other areas
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where the occurrence of human-induced disasters are very high;
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4) It shall not be located within or very close to "no-build zones" or
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easement areas defined in the Water Code, Civil Code and Revised
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Forestry Code of the Philippines, and "hazard zones" or areas
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identified in hazard maps as susceptible to natural hazards.
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b) Structurai and Building Capacity. - The evacuation centers shall be
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constructed and designed to withstand super typhoons or wind speeds of
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at least three hundred kilometres per hour (300 kph) and seismic activity
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of at least 8.0 magnitude. The structure must be calamity-resilient, built
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with sturdy and locally-sourced materials, and in accordance with the
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specifications of Republic Act No. 6541, otherwise known as the "National
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Building Code of the Philippines" or shall be at par with the standards set
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by the International Building Code.


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The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) shaii be in charge 
of the construction of evacuation centers, inciuding the formuiation of 
buiiding specifications and shaii ensure that the same are based on 
standards, issuances, and other guideiines set by the DPWH, and are 
compiiant with the provisions of the Nationai Buiiding Code. The DPWH 
shaii aiso 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 shaii be periodicaiiy reviewed 
and, if necessary, revised by the DPWH every three (3) years.
The evacuation center must at ieast meet the foiicwing parameters:
1) 
The structure must be eievated, in such a manner that is safeiy above 
the reach of a high tide storm surge of at ieast ten (10) meters;
2) 
The structure must be a minimum of one (1) meter above the average 
flood ievei in the area where the same shaii be buiit; and
3) 
The structure shaii not be iess than nine (9) meters in height and shaii 
be designed in accordance with earthquake ioad standards.
c) Amenities and Accessibiiity. - The evacuation centers shaii be weii- 
ventiiated, aiiow high ieveis of naturai iight, and have the capacity to 
accommodate a iarge number of evacuees, with proper faciiities and 
provisions that wiii guarantee humane iiving conditions of evacuees and 
ensure that the needs of speciai popuiation groups are met. The evacuation 
center shaii have the foiiowing minimum amenities:
1) 
Sieeping quarters for the evacuees;
2) 
Separate shower and toiiet faciiities designated for maies and femaies, 
with one (1) faciiity for every twenty (20) persons;
3) 
Amenities to enabie access thereto by persons with disabiiities and 
senior citizens;
4) 
Emergency exit doors;
5) 
Food storage and preparation areas;
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Trash and waste segregation and coiiection areas;


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7) Health care areas which shall include an isolation or quarantine area
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for potentially infectious persons;
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8) Child-friendly spaces and/or play and learning areas;
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9) Rainwater harvesting and collection facilities; and
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10) Other facilities as may be prescribed by the appropriate authorities.
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Sec. 5. Operation and Management - The LGUs concerned shall be primarily
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responsible for the operation, supervision, and management of evacuation centers
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established under this Act. They are also hereby authorized to issue rules and
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regulations on their proper use and maintenance.
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The local sanggunian shall promulgate guidelines and procedures for the use
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and operation of the evacuation center under its jurisdiction. The guidelines shall
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prescribe rules on the utilization of the evacuation center when it is not used as such:
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Provided, That the evacuation center may only be used for such other activities or
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purposes that involve the use of collapsible amenities and those that shall not in any
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way compromise the serviceability of the evacuation center or impede the use thereof
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when a disaster occurs: Provided, further. That the LGU shall impose such penalties
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as may be deemed proper on the organizers of authorized activities when the
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evacuation center suffers any damage, defacement or loss during or as a result of
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such activities.
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The mandatory audit of infrastructures used as evacuation centers shall be
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conducted by the City or Municipality at least once every year and immediately after
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the occurrence of a hazard or disaster, to ensure its structural integrity, compliance to
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existing standards, and the safety of the possible evacuees.
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Sec. 6. Rote of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
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(NDRRMC). - The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
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(NDRRMC) shall be the lead implementing agency of this Act. It shall give utmost
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priority to those areas of the country that a) are identified as disaster prone; b) are
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financially incapable to establish their own evacuation centers and c) do not have
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existing evacuation centers of their own.
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It shall enter into memoranda of agreement (MOA) with the concurrent LGUs
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for the maintenance, operation, and management of a permanent evacuation center


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in their respective areas of jurisdiction. It shall provide technical assistance and
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support services to these LGUs in the management of the facility.
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Local chief executives concerned shall evaluate and provide suitable sites for
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evacuation centers to determine their geographical stability, and public accessibility in
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times of disasters. They shall provide for the maintenance, operation and management
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of the facility taking into consideration the goal of life preservation and meeting the
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basic subsistence needs of affected population based on acceptable standards during
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or immediately after a disaster.
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Sec. 7. Coordination Among Agencies.. - The NDRRMC shall coordinate with
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the DPWH and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) with regard to the
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design specifications, cost estimates, and construction details of the evacuation
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centers that will be constructed pursuant to this Act.
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Concerned government agencies and instrumentalities, when necessary, shall
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provide assistance to the NDRRMC to ensure the effective and efficient implementation
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of this Act.
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Sec. 8. Impiementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days from the
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effectivity of this Act, the NDRRMC shall, in consultation with the DPWH, DOST,
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League of Cities of the Philippines, League of Municipalities of the Philippines, and
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other concerned government and private agencies, promulgate the necessary rules
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and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act.
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Sec. 9. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the initial implementation
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to fund the construction and maintenance of multi-purpose gyms to serve as
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evacuation centers shall be charged against the budget provided for this purpose
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under the DPWH. Thereafter, such amounts necessary for the construction of multi-
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purpose gyms as evacuation centers shall be included in the annual General
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Appropriations Act. The LGU concerned shall provide the continued maintenance,
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operation and management of the facility.
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Sec. 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or
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unconstitutionai, the remainder of the law or the provision or part not otherwise
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affected shall remain valid and subsisting.
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Sec. 11. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or


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inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or amended
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accordingly.
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Sec. 12. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
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publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,