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In a town prone to disasters, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation led the groundbreaking for a multi-purpose evacuation centre (MPEC) modeled after a basketball court.
On April 28, 2023, the groundbreaking ceremony marked the official construction of a P12.7-million emergency structure in Barangay Cabubuhan. This area has suffered from natural disasters for many years. There are no temporary shelters in the town to accommodate families and individuals displaced by disasters.
The Vice President of PAGCOR’s Corporate Social Responsibilities Group, Ramon Stephen Villaflor who attended the groundbreaking ceremony, said that the construction of a facility for evacuation in Barangay Cabubuhan would help ease the suffering of residents in the event of unforeseen events.
We recognize the importance to have safe and reliable evacuation centers in areas that are susceptible to natural disasters. We are proud to be able to help the residents of Magsaysay by participating in the groundbreaking ceremony of this new multipurpose evacuation center,” Villaflor stated.
The PAGCOR MPEC, which is a basketball court type building, will be a complement to the town’s existing evacuation building. This building only has the size of two classrooms. During emergencies, local governments often use public schools to provide temporary shelter.
Charlie Buhisan, Mayor of Magsaysay Municipality, said that the new facility would greatly benefit 43,000 residents who have always struggled to cope with the impact of various disasters.
“Definitely, talagang kinakailangan itong PAGCOR MPEC na ito dahil palaging binabaha ang mga residente namin dito. Napaka-stretegic din ng location ng structure na itatayo dahil malayo sa Linugos River na laging umaapaw kapag walang humpay ang ulan. Gaya noong December, ang mga eskwelahan ang ginamit namin bilang evacuation center. Kaya’t malaki ang pasasalamat namin sa PAGCOR na nabigyan kami ng pagkakataong mabigyan ng evacuation center dito sa Magsaysay,” he explained.
Wendy Encarguez (22 years old), who is used to living in cramped shelters when she and her family have to leave their home during an emergency, has expressed relief at the prospect of a more spacious place for them to stay.
“Madalas po na problema namin dito ay ang pagtaas ng tubig sa may tulay. Kapag po kasi umuulan umaapaw ang tubig sa ilog at minsan po lumalampas-tao ang taas ng tubig. Pumapasok na din sa mga bahay-bahay at may mga oras na nawa-wash-out po ang mga bahay. Hindi lang din po mataas na tubig nangyayari kapag bumabaha dito, umaalon din po ang tubig kaya sobrang delikado po talaga kapag hindi kami nag e-evacuate. At sa evacuation center naman po medyo nagsisiksikan kami at kapagka napupuno, nauuwi kami sa mga eskwelahan,” Encarguez said.
A total of 27 MPECs are complete, and 50 others are in construction.
