EDITORIAL - Permanent evacuation centers

According to a story that appeared in this paper, 19 public schools in Cebu City have been converted into Barangay Isolation Centers for asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.

These include the elementary schools of Lahug, Talamban, Zapatera, Bulacao, Tisa, Quiot, Mambaling, Pasil, Inayawan, San Nicolas, Labangon, Pardo, Guadalupe, Don Vicente Rama, and the national high schools of Apas, Guba, Mabolo, and Gothong Memorial.

We have this practice, in fact some can say it has almost become a tradition, of using schools to house victims of calamities, that we almost think nothing of it and its consequences.

What consequences are we talking about? We are talking about children missing out on their education because their classroom is being used as an evacuation center. We are talking about calamity victims suffering even more because they lack privacy and adequate hygiene and water facilities. We are talking about a school that sees more wear and tear because it is being used by more people than it was designed for.

Perhaps it is time the government considers studying the possibility of building permanent evacuation centers in strategic areas that can house victims of man-made and natural calamities?

When you take into consideration how often some areas in the country suffer from calamities like typhoon, floods, fire, volcanic explosions, landslides, mudslides, or even outbreaks, such a structure cannot stand idle for long. Even in the times it isn’t in used as an evacuation center it can be used to store pre-positioned relief goods, or practically anything the government wants to store.

Don’t get us wrong. Today, it is actually a good idea to use these schools, as they are the structures readily on hand, and because it is summer and there are no classes going on.

But what about tomorrow, or the coming months or years? If this pandemic persists up to the opening of school year 2020, or if another calamity occurs in the middle of the school year and a large number of people have to be evacuated somewhere safe, do we still turn to the schools?

When the victims of any calamities are housed in a school during any point in the school year, the school children become victims as well because their education is being held hostage.

This is something the government should look into. Permanent structures that, in lieu of schools, can serve as evacuation centers during times of calamities and serve other functions during times when there are no disasters.