LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The municipal government needs more funds from concerned government agencies to complete the construction of its evacuation center to the temporary shelter of residents who will be affected by disasters.
Mayor Romeo K. Salda said the municipal government earmarked some PhP27 million as initial funds for the construction of the proposed evacuation center to be erected within a 1,000-square meter property ceded to the municipality by the State-run Benguet State University (BSU).
He claimed that P5 million of the allocated funds will be used for the road opening from the national road in barangay Wangal up to the location of the evacuation center while PhP22 million will be used to jumpstart the construction of the evacuation center.
The municipal chief executive expressed his gratitude to the BSU Board of Regents for unanimously approving the ceding of the said property to the municipal government for the construction of the required evacuation center that will serve as a temporary shelter for victims displaced by natural and human-induced calamities.
Further, the facility will also serve as a warehouse for relief goods and other disaster risk reduction and management equipment owned by the municipal government for easier disposal during emergency situations not only in the municipality but also in nearby communities.
According to him, the municipal government still needs additional funds to augment the town’s available resources to complete the construction of the proposed evacuation center and multipurpose building.
He admitted that the available resources of the municipal government are no longer sufficient to complete the put up of the structure that is why local officials are trying to look for other sources of funds to be able to complete the building and ensure its available use during emergency situations.
Local governments are mandated to put up their respective evacuation centers to serve as a temporary shelter for calamity victims during the onslaught of natural and man-made calamities to spare the populace from the occurrence of any untoward incidents that may pose serious threat to life and limb.
BSU owns vast tracks of land in the municipality which are supposedly to be used for institutional purposes while others had already been leased to help the higher education institution earn income to be used in improving its programs.
Mayor Salda pointed out that it is good that the BSU Board of Regents granted the earlier request of the municipal government for a donation of a portion of its property in barangay Wangal for the proposed evacuation center.
The mayor said the municipal government has to partner with public and private institutions to help in realizing its big-ticket projects considering the inadequate land area owned by the municipality.
