WITH more than eight million Filipinos affected by Storms Kristine and Leon, Sen. Bong Go renewed his hope for the immediate enactment of Senate Bill (SB) 2451, or the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Bill.
Before he was elected in 2019, Go was already making regular visits to calamity victims.
In his visits, he urged local government units to ensure that evacuees were given enough supplies and that their safety, privacy and dignity were protected.
“Besides the immediate aid, as legislators, we continue to push to strengthen our disaster resilience measures in our country, which the Asian Development Bank recently identified as the most disaster-prone in Southeast Asia. From 2014 to 2023, nearly 43 million Filipinos have been affected by calamities,” Go said earlier.
The Ligtas Pinoy Centers bill, which Go principally authored and co-sponsored, has been approved on third reading in the Senate.
It aims to provide local governments with facilities specifically designed for emergency sheltering, reducing reliance on schools, barangay-covered courts, and similar institutions during crises.
“Schools and barangay facilities are often used as temporary evacuation centers, but these disruptions hamper their intended functions,” Go noted. Purpose-built centers would minimize these operational interruptions while enhancing safety.
He said that in addition to the Ligtas Pinoy Centers, there is a need to pass comprehensive disaster resilience policies to fortify communities further.
Go also continues to push for SB 188, or the proposed Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) Act.
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