TOILETS, bath rooms and wash rooms are a few of the facilities needed in evacuation centers.
But who would have thought that a “couple room” was one of the facilities required in an evacuation center?
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) has urged local government units to include the construction of “couple rooms” in their disaster programs.
Rhee Telen Jr. of the PDRRMO said the matter concerning couples is often neglected during the planning stage for disaster response.
He said it is important to recognize this issue because it is the right of every couple to have private time even in the midst of calamity.
“It’s definitely part of the right of the couple,” Telen said.
In fact, an evacuation center in Lahug, Cebu City, already has a “couple room,” he said.
The proposal is also in line with the United States Agency for International Development and the Department of Health campaign to promote hygiene and reproductive health needs in the aftermath of disasters.
Inside the couple room, condoms and other items for family planning should be made available.
Telen, however, said there are still a lot of “gray areas” that need to be addressed. The PDRRMO has to determine if there should be a time limit for the couple’s stay in the room. It also has to decide whether to open the “couple room” to common-law partners.
A social worker or a disaster officer should be overseeing the “couple room.”
They will also be trained to ensure that policies will be followed to avoid discrimination. (From AZLG of SuperBalita Cebu, VLA)