Preserve evacuation centers

These facilities are established to provide safe havens in times of emergencies

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is prodding the public to take an active role in keeping evacuation centers in good condition — stressing these are key to the government’s disaster preparedness and safety efforts.

This, as NDRRMC Executive Director Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad noted reports of vandalism and defacement of some evacuation centers in some parts of the country.

Jalad particularly cited an incident in Malunay, Quezon province where an evacuation center was vandalized.

The NDRRMC head emphasized the importance of evacuation centers in saving lives during calamities.

“Evacuation centers serve as a refuge for disaster victims, acting as a temporary home for the affected populace. Unfortunately, the NDRRMC received these reports even as it strives to provide better services to the public and provide safe havens in times of emergencies,” Jalad said in a statement.

“With the Philippines’ experience with previous disasters, the conduct of preemptive evacuations minimizes the number of fatalities during disasters such as flooding, storm surge, landslides,” he added.

With this in mind, Jalad is encouraging communities to assist the NDRRMC in preserving, securing, and protecting the viability of its National DRRM funded evacuation centers.

“The NDRRMC calls for the support of communities to safeguard these evacuation centers and report anyone causing damage,” Jalad said.

“These facilities are established to provide safe havens in times of emergencies. It is our belief that disaster risk reduction and management is a shared responsibility, and everyone plays a part in protecting these DRRM assets,” he added

Jalad said that based on the United Nations University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security’s 2019 World Risk Report, the Philippines ranks eighth of the countries with the highest exposure to risk indicating a need to promote DRRM and implementation of its programs in the country.

Included in the programs is the establishment of evacuation centers in different regions that will serve as the public’s refuge during preemptive evacuations.

“Unfortunately, the vandalism and property destruction of these facilities hinder the delivery of services,” Jalad said.

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