Bulacan beefs up its evacuation center management
CITY OF MALOLOS – The Provincial Government of Bulacan headed by Gov. Daniel R. Fernando through its Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office partnered with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and Red Cross Bulacan Chapter in conducting the “Orientation on Evacuation Center Management and Psychosocial First Aid yesterday at the Francisco Balagtas Hall in Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center here.
A total of 120 employees from the PGB and other local government units attended the whole day orientation and semi-training about their roles in the event that a disaster or a calamity happened that needs evacuation responses.
Evacuation Center Manager Rowena Tiongson made sure that the roles of the PGB focal persons and other agencies who will serve as the Camp Evacuation Management Team will be relayed accordingly in case the evacuation centers got activated.
“Habang naghahanda tayo, samahan na din ng pagdarasal na sana ay hindi na natin maranasan ang mga sakuna na ito. Bagamat gusto lang natin maging sigurado at maging handa, mas maganda pa rin na ligtas ang lahat,” she said.
Accordingly, the Camp Evacuation Management Team will be responsible for the information management, accommodating the families, providing water sanitation hygiene, giving transportation services to the evacuees, security and public safety, food preparation, relief distribution, medical and health nutrition.
The Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium and Bulacan Sports Complex will serve as the evacuation centers in the province wherein the gymnasium can accommodate 100 family of 5 members per tent while the sports complex can accommodate more or less 300 family of 5 members per tent with a home-like set up where the internally displaced persons (IDP) can use a communal kitchen and dining area, a couple’s room, sports and recreation and child friendly space and portable toilets.
During the orientation proper, DRRM Officer II Ronald Maniego highlighted the importance of evacuation center coordination and management in terms of planning and organizing to ensure efficient delivery of services to the affected families.
“Ang mga pamilyang nasa evacuation center ay parang puno na nahugot sa lupa, parang nawalan ng buhay o kabuhayan. Bilang may kakayahan tayo na tumulong, maganda na maiparamdam natin sa mga taong ito na may sumusuporta sa kanila,” Maniego said.
The PGB also made sure that the proper support and care will be given to the evacuees by having a Psychological First Aid provider present in the evacuation centers to help ease the stress of the affected families in case the unforeseen events happen.