THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has earmarked P633 million for the construction, upgrading and rehabilitation of climate-smart evacuation centers in 24 disaster-prone local government units (LGUs).
The projects will be funded through the Local Government Support Fund–Support and Assistance Fund to Participatory Budgeting.
The beneficiary LGUs are located in provinces identified under the National Adaptation Plan 2023–2030 as among the country’s most vulnerable to climate-related hazards.
Nine municipalities are covered under the fiscal year 2025 allocation: Buguey, Cagayan; Macalelon, Quezon; Lagonoy, Camarines Sur; Borbon, Cebu; Balangiga, Eastern Samar; Leyte and Tabontabon in Leyte; and Guipos and Tambulig in Zamboanga del Sur.
Fifteen more LGUs will receive funding under the fiscal year 2026 allocation. These are Burdeos, General Luna and Patnanungan in Quezon; San Jose, Camarines Sur; San Fernando, Masbate; Anilao and Bingawan in Iloilo; Alegria, Boljoon, Poro and Ronda in Cebu; Maslog, Eastern Samar; Calubian, Leyte; and Josefina and Tabina in Zamboanga del Sur.
The DILG said the projects are intended to provide communities with safer evacuation facilities that can better withstand extreme weather events and other natural hazards while supporting local disaster risk reduction efforts.
In his fifth State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government would begin rolling out Ligtas Pinoy Centers this year to serve as permanent evacuation facilities in provinces highly vulnerable to natural hazards. The president noted that the facilities are designed to withstand super typhoons with wind speeds of up to 340 kilometers per hour and earthquakes of up to magnitude 8.4.
Marcos cited the continued expansion of the Unified 911 system as part of the government’s efforts to improve emergency response.
According to the DILG, the Unified 911 system now operates nine command centers nationwide, including the recently activated Mindanao Regional Command Center in Cagayan de Oro City and satellite command centers in Pampanga and Maguindanao del Norte.
It said investments in resilient evacuation facilities, complemented by the expanding emergency response network, will help equip LGUs with the infrastructure and capabilities needed to better protect communities before, during and after disasters. The DILG vowed to continue working with LGUs to strengthen local disaster risk reduction and management initiatives.
