Parañaque to build disaster-resilient evacuation center

MANILA, Philippines — A disaster-resilient evacuation center will be constructed in Parañaque City to strengthen its emergency response and recovery efforts during emergencies and occurrence of strong typhoons, severe flooding and other disastrous events.

Mayor Eric Olivarez disclosed yesterday that the multimillion-peso evacuation center will be constructed beside the city’s socialized housing project along C-5 Road Extension in Barangay La Huerta.

The evacuation center is designed specifically to be disaster-resilient to ensure that affected residents have access to safe and comfortable shelters in emergencies, according to Olivarez.

He said that during strong typhoons, severe flooding and other calamitous events, affected families were housed in school buildings, public gymnasiums, temporary tents and other government-owned facilities.

Olivarez said that most of the school buildings have no decent bathrooms, laundry area, water supply and comfortable sleeping area for evacuees.

“It’s the right time that the city government build a dedicated evacuation center that has basic facilities and adequate emergency supplies, such as medicine, relief goods and sufficient potable water so that evacuees will no longer be jampacked,” he said.

To maintain cleanliness and prevent the spread of diseases, the proposed evacuation center will accommodate five to eight displaced families in a room, he said.

Aside from the socialized housing project, three other major projects are currently located in the government lot: the materials recovery facility, the city motor pool and the animal shelter, all initiated projects of former mayor Edwin Olivarez.