THE Regional Development Council-Central Visayas (RDC 7), in its third quarter full council meeting, on Sept. 18, 2020, agreed to request President Rodrigo Duterte to certify as urgent bills seeking the establishment of mandatory evacuation centers-cum-quarantine/isolation centers in all local government units.
This after the RDC 7's Development Administration Committee, during its committee meeting last Aug. 26, also recommended that the RDC 7 support the proposed legislation and request the early passage of the Bills in Congress on the evacuation centers with expanded function as quarantine/isolation facilities.
Agreo Melisimo, RDC 7 DAC chairperson, said Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian and Sen. Bong Go filed separate Senate Bills (Senate Bill747 in Aug. 2020 and Senate Bill 1226 in 2019) that mandate the establishment of evacuation centers in every municipality, city, and province.
Likewise, several House Bills at the Lower House had been filed seeking the establishment of mandatory evacuation centers in all local government units to address the impacts of climate change and other disasters.
He said the establishment of permanent evacuation centers equipped with necessary facilities will eliminate the practice of using classrooms as evacuation centers during calamities and other emergencies.
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the establishment of permanent evacuation centers, which could also function as isolation centers, has become more urgent.
He said the proposed evacuation centers, whose function could be expanded in the proposed legislations to include as quarantine or isolation facilities, is consistent with the strategies in the Covid-19 Regional Recovery Program.
He said the would-be evacuation/quarantine/isolation facilities would also conform to the standards set by the Department od Public Works and Highways for evacuation centers and standards of the Department of Health for isolation/quarantine centers./WBS