Absence of multi-purpose ‘bakwit’ centers in metro Davao due to lack of big public lands – official
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 18 July) – Lack of large open public spaces hinders the city government from putting up multi-purpose evacuation centers in the metropolitan areas of the first congressional district here, an official from the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) said.
The first congressional district consists of 54 out of the city’s 182 barangays. It is where the city hall and most of the local government offices are situated.
“Evacuation centers need a large area to cater to a lot of people, with enough space for parking and shelter. It is challenging to find such spaces within the district as we don’t have available government-owned spaces or lots for such purpose,” Lyndon Ancajas, CDRRMO administration and training acting division head, told MindaNews in Cebuano at the sidelines of the iSpeak media forum Thursday morning.
Nevertheless, Ancajas said they are still trying to identify possible locations for multi-purpose evacuation centers in the first district.
Ideally, it should be “safe, accessible to main roads, has easy access to electricity and water, and amenable for sleeping, among other basic facilities,” he said.
Currently, the local government only has two barangays with city-funded evacuation centers, located in barangays Los Amigos (third district) and Mahayag (second district).
Construction is ongoing for a third evacuation center in Barangay Catigan in the third district, targeted to be finished within this year.
Meanwhile, City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) head Julie Dayaday said they are planning to transfer some 258 displaced fire victims from Barangay 2-A from the temporary evacuation centers established at the Magallanes Elementary School and Bolton Elementary School.
Last Saturday, a fire broke out in Barangay 2-A, destroying at least 66 houses mostly made of light materials. It also displaced 152 families or 539 individuals, according to CSWDO’s data as of Thursday morning.
Dayaday said they are coordinating with some barangays to temporarily house the fire-affected residents of Barangay 2-A.
“We are anticipating that classes will resume by the last week of July. That’s why we are keen on transferring them to other places, possibly near their workplaces and schools,” Dayaday said in Cebuano.
“If [the displaced residents] will agree to be relocated to Los Amigos, all and good. But, that might be too far,” she added.
According to Google Maps, Barangay 2-A is 22 kilometers or 46 minutes by car from Barangay Los Amigos.
The CDRRMO has a budget of at least P826 million for this year.
During the 2024 city budget hearing last November, CDRRMO head Alfredo Baluran said they would add more evacuation centers in the city, noting that “barangay halls are being used as evacuation centers” in times of disasters.
In a committee report, Baluran was quoted as saying that adding evacuation centers could “further capacitate them to respond to emergencies, disasters, and emergencies within Davao City.” (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
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