PAGCOR unveils multi-purpose evacuation centres in Cagayan
Three municipalities in the province of Cagayan have become the latest beneficiaries of the Multi-Purpose Evacuation Centre project.
The Philippines.- The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has inaugurated new Multi-Purpose Evacuation Centres (MPECs) in three municipalities of Cagayan province. Amulong, Solana, and Peablanca each received PHP12.7m for the facilities.
In Solana, a newly built evacuation facility in Barangay Malalam-Malacabibi, prone to flooding, has already been used as a temporary shelter in October 2022 when the Magat dam gates were opened to release water after Tropical Storm Paeng. Then only partially completed, the facility provided refuge for 80 families from low-lying communities.
Meanwhile, in the remote Barangay Minanga of Peñablanca, the MPEC was constructed to provide a shelter for locals, including indigenous peoples living at the foot of Sierra Madre, during natural disasters. The town of Amulong also received an MPEC, which will provide an evacuation shelter for vulnerable sectors during calamities.
Amulong Municipal mayor Elpidio Rendon stated: “In Amulong, we have identified typhoons, landslides, drought and flood as major hazards. The flood alone affects 17 of the 47 barangays.
“This situation pushes us to raise the adaptive capabilities of our communities that are exposed to flooding. This evacuation centre will be of great help to the vulnerable members of our community – such as the elderly, children and pregnant women – especially during the onslaught of natural disasters.”
To date, PAGCOR has completed and inaugurated 24 MPECs nationwide, while 53 more are under construction.
