Mandaue eyes disaster facility building

CEBU, Philippines – Mandaue city Mayor  Jonas Cortes is eyeing the construction of a shelter for the city’s equipment on disaster response and an evacuation center for victims of calamities.

Cortes, during an interview, said there is a need to construct the said facility after the city government has noticed that most of the schools in the city are not safe to be used as evacuation center during the calamities.

The mayor said it is more risky to evacuate victims of calamities in schools because there are a lot of old Gabaldon buildings in the city while some schools like the Looc Elementary school in Barangay Looc also get inundated during the high tide.

“Samot naman noon ka peligro kay di man gyud kapugngan nga uban aning mga evacuees nga magluto man gyud ug kuyaw na hinuon sa sunog,” cortes said.

The city has come up with the idea to build the facility next year to house the City Risk and Reduction Management Office and the evacuation center for those who are victims of calamities.

Cortes said they are now in the process of looking for an ideal site for the construction of the said facility as he wanted it built on an elevated area so that it will not be reached by flood.

The city is considered a flood-prone area because of its low-lying location and is a recipient of the rainwater that runs off from Cebu city's hilly areas.

“Mao gani nang matag nay bagyo,ato gyud pud nga gipaniguro nga adto dyud nato na sila i-house sa mga three-story buildings nga classrooms kay kuyaw nga maabtan sad sa pagtaas sa tubig,” Cortes added.

Aside from looking for its ideal site, the city has yet to determine the cost of the building but probably the funds for its construction will  sourced from the city’s disaster fund.