By Nanette Guadalquiver/ PNA
BACOLOD CITY — The Office of Civil Defense in Region 6 (OCD-6) has unveiled the second regional evacuation center in Western Visayas in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental on Thursday afternoon.
The two-story building, with a project cost of PHP34.69 million, is situated at Margarita Subdivision, Barangay 2 of the northern Negros city.
OCD-6 Regional Director Jose Roberto Nuñez, together with representatives of other concerned agencies, turned over the facility to Mayor Gerardo Valmayor Jr. and other city officials.
“As we turn over this project to you, we hope that you will ensure proper maintenance of the facilities and ensure that all equipment donated for the improvement and conditions during an emergency are properly stored in safe areas,” Nuñez said in his message during the inauguration and turn-over rites.
He acknowledged the city government for providing a location for the evacuation center and ensuring that the project is “free from all infirmities regarding ownership”.
Nuñez and Valmayor signed a memorandum of agreement, together with the representative-officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Department of Health (DOH), for the operation of the facility that can accommodate around 33 families or about 130 individuals.
Also signing on behalf of their respective agencies were Engineer Oliver Zamora, chief of DPWH-6 Maintenance Division; Candelaria Salem of DOH-6; and Luna Moscoso, chief of DSWD-6 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Division.
For his part, Valmayor committed to the partner-agencies, led by the OCD-6, that the city government will do its part in the maintenance and improvement of the evacuation center.
“We assure our partners that our City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office under the city government will ensure the proper use and maintenance and allocate funds to complete all necessary equipment,” the mayor added.
Last year, the OCD-6 opened the first-ever regional evacuation center in Bago City in southern Negros Occidental.
Nine more evacuation regional centers will soon open, including the ones in Sagay City, Bacolod City, as well as in Roxas City, Capiz; San Jose de Buenavista, Antique; Kalibo, Aklan; Nueva Valencia, Guimaras; and the towns of Carles, San Miguel and Zarraga in Iloilo province.
“The use of schools as evacuation centers disrupt the classes of students and displace them that is why we, in the Office of Civil Defense in Western Visayas, continuously ensures the establishment of safe evacuation centers,” Nuñez said.
