Education Secretary Sonny Angara has welcomed the signing of the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act, which would require the establishment of dedicated evacuation centers in every city and municipality across the country.
“This legislation is a game changer not only for our disaster response but also for public education. It addresses a long-standing issue of public schools being used as evacuation centers. With this law, we can ensure that learning recovery can immediately take place after disasters,” Angara said in a statement.
Currently, the Department of Education (DepEd) allows public schools to serve as evacuation centers, capped at 15 days to minimize disruptions in education.
On Friday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inked the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act, which mandates the creation of permanent evacuation centers designed to withstand typhoon winds of up to 300 kilometers per hour and seismic activity of up to magnitude 8.0.
“Investing in these climate-resilient facilities must be the norm, for we are not only protecting the people’s lives but also capacitating our local government units to respond, reduce, and manage the risks of disasters,” said Marcos.
Under the law, evacuation centers will be strategically located at safe distances from danger areas, guided by geohazard maps from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), PHIVOLCS, and PAGASA.
Each center must be well ventilated and equipped with essential facilities, such as sleeping quarters, separate shower areas, kitchens, healthcare spaces, and recreational areas, among others. — VBL, GMA Integrated News
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