Urgent need for 'Ligtas Pinoy,' disaster body

As typhoon "Pepito" (internationally named Man-Yi) wreaked havoc in the Philippines, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go is calling for the passage of key legislative measures to address the nation’s disaster preparedness and response gaps.

Highlighting the urgency of legislative measures like the Ligtas Pinoy Centers bill and the proposed Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR), Go emphasized the need for immediate action as the country faces increasingly frequent and intense typhoons.

Typhoon "Pepito" made landfall in Panganiban, Catanduanes, on 17 November, bringing maximum sustained winds of 185 kph and triggering widespread evacuations. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that typhoon "Pepito," along with earlier storms such as "Nika" and "Ofel," collectively affected over 295,576 families across multiple regions. While no fatalities were recorded, 11 individuals were injured, and thousands remain displaced.

In the weeks leading up to "Pepito," typhoons "Kristine," "Leon" and "Marce" devastated the country, with "Kristine" and "Leon" forcing the preemptive evacuation of over 168,000 individuals, impacting more than 9.6 million people. Tragically, these earlier storms claimed 162 lives, left 137 injured, and 22 remain missing. Meanwhile, "Marce" displaced over 110,841 families, adding to the extensive toll on communities nationwide.

As the principal author and co-sponsor of Senate Bill No. 2451 or the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act, Go noted that the measure recently passed its third and final reading in the Senate. If enacted, the law would mandate the establishment of permanent, fully equipped evacuation centers in localities nationwide.

The senator lamented the dire conditions evacuees endure in makeshift shelters, often characterized by overcrowding and poor sanitation.

Go emphasized that designated evacuation centers must be equipped with essential facilities such as clean sanitation, adequate sleeping arrangements and emergency supplies. He also highlighted the need to mitigate health risks that commonly arise in evacuation scenarios.