By CESAR JOLITO III
The Bacolod City council has approved on second reading a proposed ordinance that seeks to institutionalize the establishment and management of field evacuation centers across all barangays, strengthening the city’s disaster preparedness and emergency response system.
The measure mandates the creation of safe, accessible and well-managed evacuation centers in every barangay or in clustered barangays, ensuring that evacuation operations are no longer improvised during emergencies.
Councilor Cesar Distrito, chairperson of the Committee on Human Resource and Development, said the ordinance is designed to guarantee organized, dignified and responsive evacuation services, with particular attention to vulnerable sectors such as children, senior citizens, pregnant women, and persons with disabilities.
“This ordinance ensures that evacuation is no longer reactive. By institutionalizing properly managed field evacuation centers, we are creating a system that guarantees safety, dignity and timely assistance during times of crisis,” Distrito said.
Under the proposed ordinance, each evacuation center will be overseen by a Field Evacuation Center Management Committee (FECMC) tasked with ensuring orderly operations and effective coordination among agencies.
For single-barangay evacuation centers, the FECMC will be chaired by the punong barangay, with the vice chairperson coming from the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD), specifically the assigned social worker.
In clustered evacuation centers serving two or more barangays, the DSSD representative will serve as chairperson, while all concerned punong barangays will act as co-vice chairpersons.
Committee members will include representatives from the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, the Bacolod City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department, the City Health Office, barangay health workers or nurses, barangay tanod executive officers, Barangay Nutrition Scholars, and representatives from schools, faith-based groups, and other relevant organizations.
“This structure ensures unity of command and avoids confusion, especially in clustered evacuation centers where multiple barangays are involved,” Distrito explained.
The ordinance also clearly defines agency roles in providing meals to evacuees.
The DSSD will take primary responsibility for the preparation, management, and distribution of food, while the disaster management office will provide logistical, operational and emergency support to ensure uninterrupted food services.
To fund its implementation, the proposed measure earmarks P30 million for food supplies and meals for evacuees and returning families, along with an additional P20 million from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund for hygiene kits and logistical requirements.
Distrito said the ordinance underscores the city government’s commitment to a coordinated, well-funded, and people-centered disaster response system, ensuring that residents are protected and cared for when calamities strike./CJ, WDJ