PAGCOR inaugurates emergency shelters in Quezon province
The Philippine gaming regulator has opened two newly-built shelters.
The Philippines.- The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has inaugurated two new emergency shelters in Quezon province’s San Andres and Plaridel municipalities. The new facilities are part of PAGCOR’s remit to help communities prepare for future calamities.
The multi-purpose evacuation centre (MPEC) in Barangay Camflora, San Andres, is a two-storey structure costing PHP50m. The town has long lacked emergency shelters, making it difficult for people to find safe accommodation during emergencies. Meanwhile, the basketball court-type MPEC in Plaridel cost PHP12.7m and provide a permanent site for locals to safely evacuate during emergency situations.
San Andres and Plaridel are both coastal communities, making them vulnerable to extreme weather disturbances such as storm surges and severe flooding. During the inauguration ceremony of the new MPEC in Barangay Camflora, San Andres Municipal mayor Ralph Edward Lim expressed gratitude to PAGCOR.
Barangay chairman Raul Endonila also shared his appreciation, saying he had witnessed firsthand how the lack of proper shelter had affected the community in the past.
To date, PAGCOR has built 26 MPECs nationwide and has 51 more under construction. The state agency has been involved in various charitable initiatives, including relief operations for typhoon and earthquake victims.
