Permanent shelters
Typhoon Urduja is on the way out, although at a snail's pace. The typhoon is slowly traversing the Visayas, where thousands have been stranded due to the cancellation of flights and ship voyages. The storm has flooded many areas in the Visayas region. A state of calamity has been declared in Tacloban and Ormoc, due to flooding. Those affected by typhoon Yolanda are once again affected by a typhoon that dumped a huge amount of rain. According to NDRRMC, three people were killed in separate incidents, while six are still missing.
As Urduja exits, there is a potential typhoon that may follow Urduja's path. There really is a need for permanent shelters where affected residents can go to in times of storms. Areas well-equipped with beds, water and food that will last for several days and adequate sanitation facilities. Temporary shelters really do not work, since they were not designed as such, for example, schools. If an area is frequently hit by typhoons, then it should have a permanent shelter.
In America, particularly places that are frequently hit by strong and large tornadoes, families have underground shelters to run to. In other words, they are ready if a tornado hits them. In this country, storms are the problem. Apparently the Visayas region is now the area most frequented by storms, no longer the Bicol region. In that case, permanent shelters will definitely ease the burden that the unwilling residents now have to bear.
The government should also enforce forbidding residents to live in hazardous areas. This was seen during Yolanda, where many residents living along the coastline were killed when the storm surge happened. If the place is known to flood during heavy rains, then residents should no longer be allowed to build houses. Areas prone to landslides must not be inhabited. These are just some of the measures to make people ready when calamities strike, instead of running off to temporary shelters that usually pose more problems than relief.
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