CATARMAN, Northern Samar — The provincial government of Northern Samar is set to construct seven new evacuation centers in various towns to increase the people's resilience against increasing threat of disasters caused by climate change.
Northern Samar Governor Edwin Ongchuan approved the release of P62.3 million to start the construction of five evacuation centers and the completion of two others whose construction remains ongoing.
The buildings — dubbed as Balay Marigon Evacuation Centers — will be equipped with amenities such as a breastfeeding area, clinic, kitchen, generator set, male and female comfort rooms, lavatory, rainwater collector, electrical room and common area.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management officer Josiah Rei Echano said the structures will serve as conference halls for various meetings, research and training centers when there are no disasters and temporary centers during storms and flooding.
"They will function as the center of gravity of all resilience-building activities of the communities and all government agencies," Echano said. "With a constant vulnerability of our people to impacts of various hazards, Gov. Edwin Ongchuan has conceptualized to provide dignified temporary shelters for our people in our Balay Marig-on Evacuation Centers while in a state of crises and disasters."
"The Balay Marig-on centers are testament to the Provincial Government of Northern Samar's gritty commitment to disaster resilience building in our communities," he added.
Three of the evacuation centers that will be established — at the University of Eastern Philippines Zone 1, Barangay Arellano in Bobon and Barangay Magpaon in Mapanas — are designed as Type A, meaning a floor area of 256.5 square meters.
Evacuation centers that will be constructed in Barangays Poblacion, Lope de Vega and Barangay Cag-abaca in Catarman town will be designed as Type B or a floor area of 690 square meters.
The funds will also complete the existing construction of evacuation centers in Brgys. San Pedro and Sto Nino in Biri island.
Echano said that while Northern Samar was spared of strong typhoons last year, the effects of shear line weather disturbance brought about widespread flooding that affected hundreds of thousands and prompted the province to declare a state of calamity.
"Anthropogenic climate change threat has upped the ante in terms of our exposure and vulnerabilities. We yearly endure a plethora of impacts of climate extremes, from flooding, storm surges to extraordinarily strong tropical cyclones," Echano said.