Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar announced that Western Visayas Region now has eight (8) Regional Evacuation Centers with the completion and turn-over of two (2) more in addition to the six (6) previously turned over during the first half of the year.
“Residents of Barangay Milibili, Roxas City and Barangay Igtambo in San Miguel, Iloilo no longer have to use schools as temporary shelters in times of calamities with the completion of these bigger and better disaster resilient infrastructure,” said Secretary Villar.
In her report to Secretary Villar, DPWH Region 6 Lea N. Delfinado said that a total of P36-million each was allocated under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the construction of the evacuation centers that can accommodate approximately 33 families.
Aside from being gender-responsive and persons with disability (PWD)-friendly, the standardized facilities are complete with an office and infirmary building, laundry and drying building, toilet and bath building, powerhouse, guardhouse, and a materials recovery facility.
“In times of emergency, this will serve as refuge for people not only from San Miguel but also for the people from neighboring towns of Leon, Alimodian, Pavia, and Sta. Barbara,” said Mr. Glecerio S. Cabunducan, principal of San Jose Elementary School.
Meanwhile, DPWH Region 6 is set to turn-over two (2) more evacuation centers located in Nueva Valencia, Guimaras and Sagay City, Negros Occidental while another evacuation center is targeted for completion before the year ends.
Also present during the turn-over ceremony of the newly completed projects were officials of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6, and Department of Health (DOH) Region 6.