OCD-7 asks Capitol for lot donation

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Civil Defense-7 is asking for a lot donation from the Cebu provincial government so it could build a regional office.

Engineer Ver Neil Balaba, OCD assistant regional director, said the agency has been leasing an office for quite a while and they want to have a building that they could call their own. OCD is currently occupying a two-storey building across the Cebu South Bus Terminal along Natalio Bacalso Avenue.

Balaba said the national government has allotted at least P108 million or P36 million for each three OCD offices, which will also serve as evacuation and training centers and material recovery facility.

Of the three proposed offices, two of which will be constructed in Cebu — one in Medellin town in northern Cebu and one in Cebu City. The other one will be in Tagbilaran, Bohol.

Cebu and Bohol were struck by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake in 2013. Cebu’s northern towns were also badly hit by super typhoon Yolanda in the same year. He said these offices are set to be constructed before the year ends.

Balaba, along with his personnel, paid a visit to Governor Hilario Davide III at his office yesterday morning to ask for lot donation.

Davide, in a separate interview, said they can spare a portion of the province-owned lot at the Central Command (Centcom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Barangay Apas.

“Nihangyo sila og space to construct their regional office (because) for many years nag-abang ra sila og office sa syudad,” he said.

“Centcom is ideal. I will ask (Atty. Mark) Tolentino to check kon duna pa ta’y area nga mahatag kon wa gani diri sa (Sudlon, Barangay) Lahug nalang,” he added.

Based on the proposed building design, Balaba said the office is a two-storey building and measures around 2,600 square meters (sqm) of space. It can also accommodate up to 15 families (five members each family) during calamities, he said.

He said the buildings can withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake and winds of up to 300 kilometers per hour (kph).

“It will be a modern evacuation center which is PWD-friendly,” he told reporters. (FREEMAN)