MANKAYAN, Benguet – The municipal government completed the construction of the eighth evacuation center in the municipality to serve as a multipurpose facility for the residents, especially during natural and human-induced calamities.
Mayor Frenzel A. Ayong stated that the latest completed evacuation center is in sitio Caew, barangay Bulalacao, one of the areas in the municipality targeted to host the same.
He claimed that funds for the implementation of the construction and completion of evacuation centers were sourced out from the local government funds since 2019 to provide a suitable space for residents who may evacuated during natural and human-induced calamities, aside from providing a venue where mass gatherings could be done once the inter-agency task force for the management of emerging infectious diseases will allow mass gatherings.
The other evacuation centers earlier completed are located in Panad West in Poblacion, Payeo in Bedbed, Lower and Upper Pukitan in Paco, Kalinga village in Sapid, Palasaan in Suyoc and Malinas in Cabiten while there are other similar evacuation centers are being completed in the various barangays of the municipality.
The local chief executive pointed out that the need to maximize the use of available funds for high impact development projects was beneficial to the communities around the municipality to meet the constituents basic needs.
According to him, the municipal government will continue to support the completion of similar facilities which are now in their final phases for use by the residents for their desired activities and for other necessary purposes.
With the meager resources of the local government, Mayor Ayong explained it is important for local officials to prioritize the utilization of such funds for projects that will have an impact to the communities to make sure that government will be present to attend to the needs of the people living in the far-flung communities.
He revealed that a number of evacuation centers are now on their final phases of implementation while other similar facilities are still undergoing construction and efforts are being of local officials to network with other offices, like the Office of Benguet Caretaker Congressman and Anti-Crime and Terrorism through Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) Party-list Rep. Eric Yap, the provincial government headed by Gov. Melchor Diclas, and concerned government agencies, to provide funding for the identified priority projects of the local government to ensure the immediate completion of these projects.
Ayong appealed to the residents to understand that development projects are being implemented by phases due to insufficient funds which the local government apportioned to start-up the projects.
