P398-M permanent evacuation cum classroom projects in Albay underway

By Marlon A. Loterte

Thursday 9th of August 2012

LEGAZPI CITY, August 9 (PIA) -- Six multi-hazard two storey evacuation centers cum classrooms in this city and five towns in Albay will commence construction this year.

Ground breaking ceremonies led by Minister Motohiko Sato, Consul General of the Japanese Embassy in Manila and Albay Gov. Joey Salceda were held yesterday in the towns of Oas, Polangui and Libon. Another ceremony will be held today in Manito and Barangay Gogon, in this city.

Salceda said the centers would be built in areas prone to landslides (Manito), flooding (Oas, Polangui, LIbon) and lahar or mud flows (Sto Domingo, Legazpi City).

He said the six evacuation centers would beef up the existing public school sites used as temporary evacuation camps in these areas during calamities.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) provided a 739-million yen or P398-million grant for the construction of the multi-hazard permanent evacuation centers in six towns of the province, Salceda said.

Minister Sato with Akio Yonezawa, second secretary of the Japanese Embassy in Manila, Takahiro Sasaki, chief representative of JICA, and Hayato Nakamura, JICA project officer, arrived here Wednesday to hold a two-day ground breaking rites in six construction sites in Albay.

Salceda said the project is part of the disaster risk reduction program instituted by the Albay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

"The JICA project is a single biggest assistance given by the Japanese government in addressing the province zero-casualty goal in times of disasters such as Mayon eruption, flooding, lahar flows and landslides," Salceda said.

Under the agreement, the JICA’s six permanent evacuation centers that can accommodate 10 classrooms can be used as school classrooms in normal condition.

He said the edifices would be constructed in the towns and city central elementary schools of the Department of Education (DepEd).

There are now three existing permanent evacuation center in the towns of Daraga, Camalig, and Guinobatan, where two-storey type evacuation center edifice can accommodate some 250 families or 1,250 people, said Salceda. The project construction was funded by the Spanish government through the AECID.

Salceda added that the permanent evacuation centers will declog the existing school building used as evacuation centers in times of calamities. (MAL-PIA5/Albay)