The Batangas provincial government recently led the groundbreaking ceremony for a two-storey multipurpose building in Ibaan, Batangas that will serve as an evacuation center in times of disasters.
BATANGAS CITY -- IN an effort to expand and accommodate more people in times of calamities as well as during the prevailing health crisis, the provincial government is now ramping up the construction of a multi-million peso multi-purpose evacuation center in Ibaan town.
In partnership with the private sector, the provincial government held the groundbreaking ceremony last April 14 of the ₱12.77 million Batangas Evacuation Center that will be built in Barangay Malainin, Ibaan.
The groundbreaking ceremony was conducted via online audio and video teleconferencing due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The two-storey multipurpose facility aims to address the needs of Batanguenos in times of disasters or health crises like nowadays where isolation facilities are needed.
The province's new evacuation center was made possible by a donation from the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) and BPI Foundation, Inc., through the #TaaLove Project, a donation drive formed to provide long-term support for communities severely affected by the Taal Volcano eruption in 2020.
The management of building a multi-purpose facility will be led by the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), a private sector coordinator in the country that facilitates and coordinates disaster management, with the help of the initiative of this Project Safe Shelters.
It was also implemented in the interaction of private organizations with the leadership of the provincial government of Batangas, under the leadership of Governor DoDo Mandanas, and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
When finished, the edifice can approximately accommodate 300 evacuees to temporarily and safely house them from heavy rains, storms, and earthquake.
During this time of the global pandemic of Covid-19, the use of it as a health infrastructure facility is also being considered in the design of a multi-purpose facility.
BPI and PDRF officials joined the virtual groundbreaking ceremony, including BPI President Cezar Consing; Executive Director of BPI Foundation Owen Cammayo; Head of Sales and Service Channels of BPI Angelie King; PDRF President Butch Meily; and Executive Director of PDRF Veronica Gabaldon.
The officers of the Capitol, under the leadership of Governor Mandanas, along with Vice Governor Mark Leviste; Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Joselito Castro; Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Jocelyn Montalbo; Provincial Planning and Development Officer Benjie Bausas; Provincial Engineer Gilbert Gatdula; and Supervising Administrative Officer of Provincial Information Office (PIO) Jenelyn Aguilera, as representative of Chief of Staff and PIO Head Maria Isabel Bejasa also graced the occasion. (IAmigo)
Tags: #OpinYonBatangas, #IbaanBatangas, #BatangasEvacuationCenter