Eleazar backs creation of permanent evacuation sites

MANILA, Philippines — Following the onslaught of Tropical Depression Agaton, senatorial candidate Gen. Guillermo Eleazar underscored the need to establish evacuation centers in disaster prone areas in the country.

Eleazar explained that most of the local residents are discouraged from going to evacuation centers as these are usually congested and in some cases before the pandemic, evacuees had to stay in the classrooms even if the classes were on going.

He said this is why residents prefer to stay in their homes even if it’s dangerous. If there were proper evacuation centers, preemptive evacuation could more easily be carried out, he said.

“Local government units should no longer use school facilities as evacuation sites. We should build evacuation centers to give the people some dignity, since no one would choose to be at an evacuation center unless necessary,” he added.

If he wins in the senatorial race, Eleazar would push for the measure creating permanent evacuation centers as the measure is still pending in the Senate. The House of Representatives had approved its version of the bill on third and final reading.

He said part of the measures that must be assured is that the basic needs of the evacuees like food and water are shouldered by either the national or local governments during the entire duration of stay at the evacuation centers.

Eleazar said more lives would be saved if the disaster response measures of the national government and local government units would be reviewed and adjusted.

Agaton battered provinces in the Visayas last week, claiming the lives of more than a hundred individuals.

Search operations are ongoing as scores of people are still missing.