Centralized shelter area in Tugbok ‘ready for use’

THE EVACUATION center in Los Amigos, Tugbok District is just undergoing “finishing touches” and now “ready for use,” said Alfredo Baluran, chief of Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO).

The permanent evacuation center is a multipurpose building, which is also used for training and assemblies of clients. However, in times of calamity, it will be made available to prioritize the victims of disaster and survivors.

The displaced families will be provided with “temporary shelter, food, medical needs, clothing, domestic items and comfort giving”.

The building is funded by the national government worth P20 million.

The shelter area will help spare schools from being used as temporary evacuation centers which affected regular classes.

Meanwhile, for the evacuation center in Brgy. Mahayag in the second( district, Baluran said they are still preparing for the construction site.

“For first district, we still don’t have evacuation center construction plan because we are prioritizing the disaster warehouse,” Baluran said.

Baluran added that since there are many identified temporary shelters in first district compared to other districts, the disaster

warehouse has to be constructed first.

According to Baluran, the disaster warehouse can also be utilized as evacuation center but its main purpose is for storage of buffer stocks. “That is the priority of our mayor, not only evacuation centers but for every district to have at least one disaster warehouse,” he said.