In the first part of this survey, Rappler found that more than a portion of the citizens of Negros Occidental are at the highest risk of flooding. Across the province, Sipalay ranks first among cities, with the most critical services built in flood-prone areas. Areas. At least 3 out of ten of them are in vulnerable areas.
Negros Occidental also ranked 11th out of 84 provinces in terms of exposure to hazard risks, according to the Pacific Disaster Center’s (PDC) 2021 Provinces of the Philippines Risk Profiles.
During Typhoon Odette (Rai), the Sipalaynon were able to see for themselves how sheltering in schools that also serve as evacuation centers can still expose them to the threat of flooding. For them, it’s a wake-up call. But for the local government this does not seem to be enough.
Sipalay officials plan to build two evacuation centers and relocate some schools, but moving all critical services away from flood-prone spaces remains a challenge. Experts said getting them out of flood zones is a complex procedure and it takes time to find a solution that works. all boxes.
Months of research through the national threat assessment portal HazardHunterPH showed that Sipalay has the highest number of schools among the western Negros cities with the highest flood threat. In the Philippines, schools serve as evacuation centers in the event of a disaster.
The Sipalay town government said it was aware of the threat of flooding.
As a component of the pre-disaster meetings, the Local Government Unit (LGU) uses government hazard maps from the Bureau of Mines and Geosciences (MGB) of Environmental Decomponent and follows warnings from the State Meteorological Office of the Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Administration. of the Philippines (PAGASA). They identify spaces that may be affected and buy food and other essential items in those barangays.
A few days before Odette’s arrival, city officials said all necessary preparations had been made for the mandatory evacuation. For them, it was the “lack” of data dissemination by the village government and the reluctance of citizens to evacuate and heed the warnings. That burden lives.
“To be honest, the barangays are nowhere to be found. They are part of the warning formula, but they are probably too vague,” said Sipalay City Mayor Gina Lizares.
Residents interviewed through Rappler showed that some of them knew of Odette’s strength from announcements made through the city government and village authorities, while others said they had been previously informed through the barangay.
At Sipalay City National High School (SCNHS), the designated Barangay V evacuation center in the city proper, floodwaters reached the school floor, prompting evacuees to seek shelter on the second floor of the building.
Sipalay officials said the Sipalay City Gymnasium, a larger facility located in the center of the city, is also used as an evacuation center. The city’s gymnasium and SCNHS are located in an area with a high risk of flooding.
Cities most at risk of flooding can be submerged in one to two meters of water for more than three days, according to the MGB. For most Filipinos, this already goes from the waist to the chest. Those who are highly susceptible to flooding can see more than two meters away.
“As far as I know, the flooded schools are not being used as evacuation centers. They are taken to our indoor courts and gyms. Even if there is flooding in this area, the gym is more protected,” Lizares said. His team proved that the flooding had not reached the city’s gymnasium.
From Odette, village officials are urged not to use the evacuation centres located in their barangays, especially in the event of anticipated primary crises. Instead, they were asked to evacuate to the Gil Montilla facility in downtown Sipalay, which crisis officials said would be safer. . It is in Gil Montilla that the new government center of the city was built.
“What we were looking to instill in the barangays is that regardless of the weather, if PAGASA says the typhoon is going to be disastrous, they shouldn’t be complacent. They have to do what they have to do,” the city’s public safety department said. chief, Dionylo Bogtae.
The city government has also made a decision for the Village Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) offices through more education so that they can fend for themselves if the unimaginable happens.
“We know that the [city’s] DRRME can only manage a few [spaces] in the event of a disaster. Remote spaces want to know how to manage themselves,” said James Lim, lead data officer for the City of Sipalay. Odette, the rescuers were there and couldn’t get to the barangays. They have been unable to access roads leading to remote spaces due to flood debris.
Odette struck at a time when the Philippines was still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
By the end of 2022, Sipalay had already used about three-quarters of its crisis funds. The mayor said the biggest expense that year was the reaction to the aftermath of Odette, in addition to expenses owed for pandemic food. Then, the violent tropical typhoon Paeng (Nalgae) hit the city in late 2022.
Data from the Audit Commission showed that Sipalay spent 56. 6 million pesos of its 72. 3 million pesos ($1. 3 million)* on crisis budgeting in 2022. In the budget, the city spent about 800 pesos ($14) consistent with the capita. with crisis spending per capita among UGLs in West Blacks, just about 3 times the provincial average of about P260 ($5) in 2022.
While this is considered a maximum usage rate, Lizares said his purpose is to spend even more of his budget on bugs in the coming years, at least 80% of the current usage rate of 78%.
“During [the COVID-19 pandemic], we were very focused. We try to make sure we’re proactive and not reactive. So we used the budget for the things we hoped we would want in the long run at the time. Lizares said.
Sipalay officials told Rappler that the city is moving some of the schools used as evacuation centers because of the risks, but Lim said the city faces land ownership issues in the process.
Cabadiangan National High School is among the schools contemplating moving to a “higher altitude. “The high school, despite being in a “safe” location, according to the state’s hazard maps, is near flood zones that can block residents’ access. roads.
The best school is located in the barangay where the highest number of deaths occurred, Odette.
The task of relocating the Cabadiangan Public School is underway and the city has already discussed its task with the Ministry of Education (DepEd).
Lim said the city is for landowners who may wish to sell their land. Authorities have also explored another site, but need approval from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, as part of the domain is on forest land.
For the other flood-prone schools, the data officer said the city is still looking for new sites for relocation.
As for the SCNHS, Lizares said it would be moved to its location not because of the threat of flooding but because the land it occupies belongs to Barangay V Elementary School.
“The only explanation we’re getting [the SCNHS] out of there is because two schools in one domain are too crowded. When (school number one) expands, we want the largest domain to already be occupied by the high school,” said the mayor of Sipalay.
In the Philippines, evacuation centers, gymnasiums and schools built in flooded spaces are no less unusual than you might think.
A 2019 peer-reviewed study found that nearly a portion of all evacuation centers in Metro Manila are also at risk of flooding. The study’s researchers “reassess” the locations of evacuation centers to facilitate an immediate reaction in the event of a disaster.
To this, crisis threat control experts told Rappler that the government faces several hurdles in making critical services safe.
The director of the operations center of the Philippine Foundation for Disaster Resilience (PDRF), the organization that coordinates DRRM activities for the sector, said that the relocation of evacuation centers has many points to consider: relocation prices are one thing and the location of new sites is another. .
“For a country that is among the most exposed to herbal hazards, it can be difficult to identify a suitable location for those services that also meet criteria such as proximity to the community, accessibility to public transportation, connection to basic services, among others. ” Arnel Capili of the PDRF told Rappler.
Capili has decades of experience in crisis threat management. He was Regional Director of the Department of National Defense’s Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bicol from 1997 to 2007.
According to him, relocation involves demanding logistical situations that, if not resolved in a timely manner, can lead to delays. And a country exposed to multiple hazards, with an average of 20 typhoons a year, cannot be delayed.
“Relocation is indeed a complex process, so going forward, it is incumbent upon the government to get it right from the start by conducting a thorough threat assessment when deciding on sites for new facilities, adding collaboration with experts to incorporate resilient design features. . Capili said.
Ricardo Jalad, former administrator of the OCD and former executive director of the National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, under pressure that the relocation “depends on the resources you have and the priorities of the corresponding office. “
By law, LGUs will have to allocate at least 5% of their profits to the local crisis fund. Ideally, the richer a city is, the greater its crisis funds. Jalad advised the national government to interfere, as all critical services it builds are subject to strict evaluation through the RDRRMC.
“Perhaps [the Ministry of Public Works and Roads] deserves to include in its annual budget the relocation of critical services such as schools, evacuation centers and fitness facilities from undeveloped spaces to other spaces,” Jalad said.
The former NDRRMC leader said that at the end of the day, it all comes down to whether local governments will take decisive action.
“I think it’s a matter of political will on the part of the LGUs in relation to the implementation of their comprehensive land use plans (CLUPs) and similar powers like issuing building permits [when new schools are built],” Jalad said.
According to Republic Act No. 7976 or the Local Government Code, LGUs must have LLUPs. In a consultant set up through the former Housing and Land Use Regulatory Council, a forerunner to the Department of Housing, LGUs are encouraged to analyze threats to spaces. Most likely, you will be affected by hazards. Land zoning recommendations can range from establishing a no-build zone for a specific domain to risk management.
If relocating critical services is too complex, why build new ones?
According to Capili, the national government identifies “broad” policies and regulations similar to the identity of structure sites and protection standards, among other things. Local governments tailor these policies to their needs, ensure that they are complied with, and make express decisions. related to the selection, design, and structure of the site.
In Sipalay’s case, the mayor also doesn’t think moving schools to the city is unwise. “The total population (the city) is most at risk, so why just move the schools?
The mayor said the town is building two evacuation centers for the Sipalaynon: one in Gil Montilla and one in the town itself. Construction of the Gil Montilla evacuation center, at a cost of 16. 9 million pesos ($305,000), began in December 2020. it’s still ongoing.
Capili said that the construction of new evacuation centers would possibly be preferable to relocation.
“It is probably more practical to build new evacuation centers that comply with existing building codes, aligned with criteria [such as] disabled (people with disabilities) access, lactation rooms, etc. , and most importantly, away from hazards that could potentially have an impact on their safety. “
In March 2023, the House of Representatives approved in the 3rd and final reading Bill No. 7354, which aims to require each and every town and municipality to have at least one permanent evacuation center that complies with domestic and foreign government regulations.
The equivalent measure in the Senate, followed in committee, has not yet been discussed on the floor.
According to the House bill, permanent evacuation centers will have to be designed to cope with winds of at least 300 kilometers per hour (km/h) and earthquakes of at least magnitude 8. To put this requirement in context, Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) had maximum sustained winds of 315 km/h, while the strongest earthquake to hit the Philippines was the magnitude 8 Gulf of Moro earthquake in 1976.
In addition to the structural requirements, the bill also proposes that the new amenities be well-ventilated, have a giant capacity, and have amenities such as dormitories, showers, and 20-person dining areas, and meal preparation areas, among others.
This represents a maximum value for the national government, through Congress, to be the sole financier of this ambitious enterprise.
In a discussion, the House of Representatives’ Department of Policy and Budget Research (CPBRD) estimated that building a two-story evacuation center for the country’s more than 500 towns and municipalities would require 33. 4 billion pesos ($602 million), on average. of 64. 8 million pesos ($1. 17 million) consistent with the construction, without adding the value of the land where it would be built.
The Office of Policy Research used Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) prices for a 2019 evacuation center assignment and calculated 2022 prices.
The CPBRD noted that the total amount required to finance the programme would be a huge expense for the national government; In addition, the DPWH is accustomed to having a low absorptive capacity or its inability to spend cash well to delay entire projects.
According to CPBRD estimates, a new evacuation center in Western Visayas, the region where Negros Occidental is located, would cost around 62. 6 million pesos ($1. 13 million), representing about 90% of the total budget allocated to Sipalay in 2022.
By contrast, the Gil Montilla evacuation center, built in the municipality of Sipalay, is about two-thirds cheaper. The PDRF also told Rappler that it had built multi-purpose facilities serving as crisis evacuation centers, for 25 million pesos ($451,000). each, part of the estimated value of the CPBRD.
If the bill passes, the policy studies office recommends that the government explore other investment features for this program, adding climate finance or partnerships with the personal sector. He also said prices would increase if the LGU donated the land for the evacuation center.
Experts agree that investing in preparedness is far more effective than focusing resources on response. Capili noted, however, that investments in preparation or DRR are “not as visible” to the public.
The crisis threat expert noted that investment in preparedness is accompanied by an early warning system, a physically powerful emergency communication system, and evacuation centers built in accordance with standards.
“To make matters worse, (long-term investments) may be larger and take longer, beyond the three-year term of local elected officials,” Capili said.
Let’s take the example of the evacuation center of Sipalay. La structure in Gil Montilla at the end of 2020 and which has been going on for more than 3 years now, after the pandemic and the last local elections in 2022.
Capili said citizens can’t easily get started with increased investment in crisis preparedness by their local governments.
“What’s more vital is to highlight the long-term benefits of making an investment in preparedness and DRR than a short-term distribution mindset. By doing so, governments can minimise costs related to recovery and rehabilitation and, more importantly, families can now shelter in place,” he said.
More than two years after Odette, the Sipalaynon still have bright memories of their anguished joy during the typhoon.
In hindsight, Felizardo dela Cruz, a Cabadiangan resident whose house was swept away by floodwaters with him inside, said he would have evacuated to a safer place if Sipalay’s government had asked him to.
Narcisso Biasong, whose wife and grandson died after trying to take refuge from the raging typhoon, held a grudge against the city’s government. I didn’t sleep after Odette. . . When someone asks her (the mayor) how Sipalay is doing, she simply replies, “We’re fine. “Is it “good” if many other people die?
As the government looks at problems similar to evacuation centers, many Filipinos, not just in Sipalay, will still have no option to continue risking their lives relying on these critical and high-risk services whenever a crisis hits the country. country. – Rappler. com
*$1 = 55. 41 P
All quotes have been translated into English.
This article was produced as part of the Academy of Environmental Information Journalism, with Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and Thibi. co.
Methodology
The locations of the schools and fitness services are from HazardHunterPH, while the locations of the evacuation centers are from the Office of Civil Defense. The flood susceptibility form files are from the Bureau of Mines and Geosciences. Each facility is classified as low, medium, and upper. , or much higher flood susceptibility zone by locating the intersection between the facility location and a polygon in the flood susceptibility shape file in QGIS.
Data on DRRM expenditures for Local Government Units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental comes from the Audit Commission. Poverty incidence rates for Western Black LGUs come from the Philippine Statistics Authority. The report also used the Housing Vulnerability Index, which was provided to the Academy through Aaron Opdyke, a senior lecturer in the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Sydney.
Anecdotes about the other people affected by Typhoon Odette de Sipalay and the insights of Sipalay LGU officials were piled up from interviews with communities in the town of Sipalay, Western Blacks. Additional data on Typhoon Odette and hazard maps were corroborated through literature searches.
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