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National athletes, coaches to receive P10,000 Christmas bonus

National athletes and coaches will have a very merry holiday season as they stand to receive P10,000 each as Christmas bonus from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

No less than PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez bared the good news on Monday saying national team members deserve the gratuity for a successful year highlighted by the country’s historic Tokyo Olympics feat amid the pandemic.

“It’s the government’s way of saying thank you to our athletes and coaches for a job well done,” said Mr. Ramirez.

Truly, the year produced many highs including the feat of weightlifter HidilynF. Diaz delivering the country’s breakthrough Olympic gold medal in the Tokyo Games last August.

It was also the most productive performance by far by the country in the quadrennial event as it also raked in a couple of silvers and a bronze courtesy of boxers NesthyA. Petecio, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Felix D. Marcial, respectively.

PSC commissioner Ramon Fernandez, who is also the country’s chefdemission in the Hanoi Southeast Asian Games set in May next year, for his part, said he expects all the national teams to resume training on Jan. 10 at the PhilSports Complex in Pasig.

“We’ve instructed all NSAs (national sports associations) to submit their lineups as early as November to avoid delay,” said Mr. Fernandez. —Joey Villar

PSC organizing relief efforts for Typhoon Odette victims’ members of national team member

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez gave instructions over the weekend to organize relief efforts for members of the national (team) severely affected by Typhoon Odette. The PSC management committee, led by PSC Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy, Jr. met Monday to finalize the logistics for the care package.

“This is a force of nature that we cannot control. However, we can do our share to help them get through this. We will do all we can with the resources available,” Mr. Ramirez said.

The PSC has been monitoring the situation of the members of the Philippine National Team affected by Typhoon Odette which ravaged the Visayas and Mindanao region late last week.

“We are closely keeping track of the situation of our athletes. There is quite a number affected like in Bohol where Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) has a small gym which was washed-out in the reports we received.” Mr. Ramirez added.

Mr. Iroy is leading the charge of efforts, connecting with the Armed Forces of the Philippines for the transport and delivery of goods like mattresses and water bottles.

Typhoon Odette, which has an international name Rai, is the 15th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year. According to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Typhoon Odette weakened slightly from a Category 5 to a Category 3 storm after making a landfall on Thursday on Siargao Island.

Saints blank Bucs, hand Tom Brady first shutout since 2006

Brett Maher kicked three field goals and the New Orleans Saints defense dominated Tom Brady and the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 9-0 victory on Sunday night.

Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen served as Saints acting head coach because Sean Payton was sidelined after testing positive for COVID two days earlier. The Saints (7-7) won their second straight after losing five in a row.

Brady completed 26 of 48 for 214 yards, threw an interception and lost a fumble as the Buccaneers (10-4) missed an opportunity to clinch the National Football Conference (NFC) South title. It’s the first time Brady has been shut out since 2006.

New Orleans, which has won the last four NFC South titles, improved to 4-0 in regular-season meetings against Tampa Bay since Brady joined the team. That includes a 38-3 victory in Tampa Bay last season — the most lopsided loss of Brady’s career.

The Buccaneers’ top two wide receivers — Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (knee) — were sidelined in the second quarter and missed the rest of the game. Running back Leonard Fournette (hamstring) was sidelined for good in the third quarter.

The Buccaneers drove to the Saints 24 late in the third quarter, but as Brady scrambled, Cameron Jordan, who had two of the Saints’ four sacks, knocked the ball loose and Marshon Lattimore recovered for New Orleans.

After a scoreless third quarter, Maher kicked his third field goal in as many attempts, making a 42-yarder to give the Saints their first breathing room with a 9-0 lead with 7:28 remaining in the game.

The Saints drove 60 yards en route to Maher’s 39-yard field goal that gave them a 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Maher added a 35-yard field goal early in the second quarter. The Buccaneers’ first scoring threat fizzled later in the period when Ryan Succup missed a 45-yard field goal.

Tampa Bay entered New Orleans territory again late in the quarter, reaching the 39 before Brady was sacked and the Buccaneers punted, leaving the Saints with a 6-0 halftime lead. —Reuters

Leader Man City cruises to 4-0 win over Newcastle

NEWCASTLE, England — Manchester City’s João Cancelo scored one goal and made another as they overwhelmed struggling Newcastle United (4-0) on Sunday to ensure they will spend Christmas Day top of the Premier League, a position Liverpool occupied in the last three seasons.

The visitors were gifted the opening goal in the fifth minute when Cancelo acrobatically crossed for Ruben Dias to head into an empty net after a mix-up between Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka and defender Ciaran Clarke.

Cancelo added a second in the 27th minute, cutting in from the right wing and capping off a solo run with a stunning strike to silence the home crowd.

Newcastle was denied what looked to be a clear penalty on the half-hour mark when City keeper Ederson clattered into Ryan Fraser, but neither referee Martin Atkinson nor the VAR decided to intervene.

“I am not too sure what happened with VAR and the referee, the goalkeeper wipes out Ryan and it is a stonewaller, a clear penalty,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said.

Things got worse for Newcastle as Mahrez turned home Kevin De Bruyne’s cross from the left with a deft volley in the 63rd minute to notch his 50th Premier League goal after a lengthy VAR review.

“I was quite sure I was onside as I saw the defender running with me so I didn’t think I was offside,” Mahrez said.

Newcastle had introduced Allan Saint-Maximin off the bench at halftime for Joe Willock but they only managed one effort on target over the 90 minutes — a close-range header from Callum Wilson that forced a superb one-handed save from Ederson.

Sterling’s industrious performance on the wing was rewarded in the 86th as Gabriel Jesus drove the ball across the goal and the England forward slammed it home to complete the rout.

Champion City tops the table on 44 points, four ahead of second-placed Liverpool, who visits Tottenham Hotspur later on Sunday, and six clears of Chelsea in third after they were held to a 0-0 draw nL1N2T40AU at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Newcastle stayed second-bottom on 10 points and City manager Pep Guardiola thought they contributed to their own downfall.

“A good result, not a good performance. We were lucky but Newcastle did not defend well for the first goal and a brilliant action from João Cancelo for the second goal,” he told the BBC. — Reuters

Gov’t ramps up relief work as death toll hits 208

THE DEATH toll in the Philippines caused by typhoon Rai, locally named Odette, has risen to 208, after the storm carved a trail of destruction in central and southern provinces late last week, the national police spokesperson said on Monday.

There were 52 people still missing, according to police data, as relief efforts continued following one of the deadliest typhoons to have struck the Southeast Asian country.

The police have been mobilized for relief operations and to ensure order in calamity stricken areas, police spokesperson Roderick B. Alba said. The number of casualties cited by police was far higher than the 58 deaths recorded by the national disaster agency up to now. The agency said it was still validating reports from affected regions.

More than half of the deaths reported by police were fatalities in the central Visayas region, which includes Bohol province, home to some of the country’s most-popular tourist destinations, including dive spots.

On Sunday, Bohol Governor Arthur C. Yap reported 74 deaths in his province, citing partial reports that he said had been verified by both the health department and local government officials.

Relief operations have been accelerating but remain hampered by damage caused to communication and power lines, which have yet to be restored in many devastated areas.

Rai had displaced nearly 490,000 people in the Philippines before it moved toward the South China Sea over the weekend, also leaving huge destruction in the provinces of Cebu, Leyte, and Surigao del Norte, including the popular Siargao surfing destination, and Dinagat Islands.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte has committed to release up to P4 billion in funds to typhoon-hit provinces to help in recovery efforts.

“So we gave P2 billion and you’ll divide the amount. We’ve already started giving assistance, so I’ll look for another P2 billion,” Mr. Duterte said during a visit to Bohol on Sunday.

The Agriculture department has allocated another P445.1 million to assist affected farmers and fishermen, Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Alexei B. Nograles said in a statement Monday.

Meanwhile, United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzales said he is working with Defense Secretary Delfin. N. Lorenzana and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. to better align their support to the government’s overall emergency response.

“United Nation teams already deployed to bring first relief support to vulnerable communities,” Mr. Gonzales said in a tweet on Monday, noting that the Humanitarian Country Team is ready to provide immediate aid and coordinate with government agencies already on the ground.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, meanwhile, is working with the Department of Transportation and the Tourism Promotions Board to arrange sweeper flights for stranded tourists.

“They have also launched a relief drive, to help affected small businesses in the tourism sector as well as a workfare program to support tourism workers who will help in the clearing and cleaning up of all affected tour sites,” Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Eduardo Martin R. Meñez said in a WhatsApp message to reporters.

PASSENGERS

On flight disruptions, the country’s three major airlines on Monday said more than 75,000 passengers were affected by cancellations and delays due to typhoon Odette.

“Over 25,000 passengers” were affected by flight cancellations,” Candice A. Iyog, Cebu Pacific vice president for marketing and customer service, said during a virtual briefing.

She said the budget carrier resumed domestic operations to and from Cebu on Dec. 19.

International flights to and from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, which incurred damage in one of its terminals, will resume on Dec. 21 with an arrival cap of 600 passengers per day.

Low-cost carrier Philippines AirAsia, Inc. said the flight cancellations and delays affected an estimated 30,000 passengers from Dec. 16 to Dec. 19.

“The airline mounted two recovery flights from Manila to Cebu on Dec. 19 catering to almost 1,000 passengers,” it said in an e-mailed statement.

“Guests affected by flight delays and cancellations from Manila to Puerto Princesa may also avail of a recovery flight to the province on Dec. 23,” it added.

Meanwhile, flag carrier Philippine Airlines said in a separate statement: “From Dec. 16 to the present, an estimated 20,000 passengers were affected by flight cancellations due to typhoon Odette.”

“Our Mactan, Cebu domestic operations have resumed. International flights to and from Cebu remain suspended,” it added.

As of Dec. 20, there were 14 operational regional airports that were on the path of typhoon Odette, including the airports in Busuanga, Puerto Princesa, Bicol, Caticlan, Kalibo, and Roxas, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said.

CAAP-operated airports that sustained damage but are operational include those in San Vicente, Antique, Bacolod-Silay, Iloilo, Dumaguete, Maasin, and Mactan-Cebu.

Mactan-Cebu International Airport is operated by Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority, but CAAP maintains facilities in the airport.

The airports in Surigao and Siargao, both CAAP-operated, are still closed as of Monday, except for government, military, emergency, cargo, and humanitarian flights.

PRICE FREEZE

In a related development, Senator Francis N. Pangilinan on Monday called on the Department of Trade and Industry to immediately impose a price freeze on basic goods in typhoon-affected areas.

“The government should immediately order the freezing of prices in areas affected by Typhoon Odette,” he said in a statement, to prevent “unscrupulous traders” from raking in profit amid the emergency situation.

The senator said the government must act swiftly to ensure people’s access to basic necessities, especially for displaced families.

Trade Undersecretary Ruth D. Castelo, however, said declaring a price freeze is outside the department’s mandate.

“It is upon the LGU (local government unit) or the President’s declaration of a state of calamity,” she said in a text message to BusinessWorld, citing Republic Act 7581 or the Price Act, which automatically imposes price control in times of calamity.

At least five local governments have already declared a state of calamity.

2022 ELECTIONS

For the May 2022 local and national elections, preparations will not be affected as poll officials are now verifying sites affected by the typhoon, the poll body’s spokesman said in a press briefing on Monday.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Spokesperson James B. Jimenez said alternatives will be taken into consideration to ensure that voting sites will be ready by May next year.

“Right now, we are (focusing) more on the civic aspect of the storm. How can we help the local communities rather than what specific impact it will have on our elections,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. Reuters, Alyssa Nicole O. Tan, Arjay L. Balinbin, and Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan

Dalys steal show with PNC Championship victory over Tiger, son

While all eyes were on Tiger Woods and son Charlie as they carded 11 consecutive birdies, it was John Daly and son John II who walked off with the championship belts.

Team Woods put on a frantic run but Team Daly held them off to post a two-shot victory on Sunday in the PNC Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando.

Both duos shot 15-under 57 in the second and final round, with the Dalys finishing at 27-under 117 for the tournament. They broke the tournament record set by Davis Love III and his son three years ago by one stroke.

John Daly is a two-time Grand Slam winner but he said combining with his 18-year-old for a victory means more.

“It’s just one of the highlights of my life forever,” the 55-year-old Daly said. “To be able to play in a PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association) Tournament with your son, it’s pretty special.”

It was a pretty big weekend for Woods too as he was playing for the first time since badly breaking his right leg 10 months ago in a single-car accident. He used a cart to navigate the course.

The 11-birdie stretch was filled with good shots from both Tiger and Charlie but the streak ended with a par on No. 18 as they couldn’t overtake the Dalys.

“We thought we would have to birdie every hole on the back nine to have a chance and it turned out to be that way,” Woods said. “We got to that last hole and we were on a run but we still needed to make it interesting for the Dalys back there. But what a blast it was. We just had a blast all day.”

Tiger and his son combined for a 10-under 62 in the first round before bettering that by five shots on Sunday. They had 13 birdies and one eagle during a bogey-free round.

Woods reiterated that he is nowhere close to being able to play in PGA tournaments. But he certainly got back into the competitive spirit without much prodding.

“The competitive juices, they are never going to go away. This is my environment,” Woods said. “This is what I’ve done my entire life. I’m just so thankful to be able to have this opportunity to do it again. Earlier this year was not a very good start to the year and it didn’t look very good.

“But the last few weeks, to push as hard as we have the last seven months with taking no days off and just working our butts off each and every day, and to have this opportunity to be able to play with my son and to have these memories, for us, for both of us, our lifetime, it’s worth all the pain.”

The Dalys also had one eagle and 13 birdies and ran off their own stellar stretch of six straight birdies from holes 9 through 14.

The Dalys led by one as they reached 18 and birdied the hole for the two-shot win.

The younger Daly is an 18-year-old college golfer for Arkansas, and he certainly held his own on the big stage.

“Every year, we always try and win, but this was the year,” John Daly II said. “Just enjoyed it and being here playing with him in the holidays.”

Defending champions Justin Thomas and his father, Mike, tied for third, three shots behind the Dalys. Also tying for third were Stewart Cink and his son, Reagan. — Reuters

3rd Omicron case a returning Filipino; tracing underway

A THIRD case of the highly mutated Omicron coronavirus variant has been recorded in the Philippines, with the carrier a 36-year old unvaccinated Filipino who flew back from Qatar, health authorities announced on Monday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario S. Vergeire said on Monday that the returning Filipino was asymptomatic and had already tested negative against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) last Sunday.

“The case completed his isolation in Cebu before traveling back to Cavite, his hometown, where he immediately self quarantined at home upon arrival. The case is currently finishing his home quarantine in Cavite and has remained asymptomatic since his arrival,” she told reporters via Zoom.

He arrived at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport late November and his test sample was reported positive on Dec. 5.

Three close contacts identified from the flight manifest have already tested negative for the virus, Ms. Vergeire said.

“The DoH (Department of Health) is already determining the possible close contacts among co-passengers during the flights of this case,” she said.

“The DoH is also verifying the test results and health status of all passengers of this flight if there are other confirmed cases or passengers who became symptomatic after arrival.”

The department earlier reported the country’s first two cases of the Omicron variant, where one was a returning Filipino migrant worker from Japan while the other was a Nigerian. Both, including all close contacts, have already tested negative for COVID-19.

DAILY TALLY

Meanwhile, the department reported 263 coronavirus infections on Monday, bringing the total to 2.84 million.

The death toll hit 50,784 after 45 more patients died, while recoveries increased by 390 to 2.78 million, it said in a bulletin.

There were 9,592 active cases, 473 of which did not show symptoms, 3,569 were mild, 3,375 were moderate, 1,797 were severe and 378 were critical.

The agency said 67% of the reported cases occurred from Dec. 7 to 20.

The regions with the most number of cases in the past two weeks were Metro Manila with 44, Calabarzon with 32, and Zamboanga Peninsula with 23.

It added that 20% of the reported deaths occurred in December, 2% in November, 38% in October, and 67% in September.

DoH said five duplicates had been removed from the tally, which were reclassified as recoveries while 35 recoveries were reclassified as deaths.

Another 105 patients had tested negative and were removed from the tally. Four laboratories did not operate on Dec. 18, while 13 failed to submit data.

The agency said 21% of intensive care units in the Philippines were occupied, while the rate for Metro Manila was 22%.

Ms. Vergeire also said that the average daily cases further dropped to 299 last week, down 24% from 398 the previous week. In the capital region, daily cases have decreased by 7%.

All regions across the country are also at minimal health risk classification, with a negative two-week growth rate and average daily attack rate of less than one per 100,000 population in the past week, she said.

Health systems capacity, she added, is also at low risk in all areas. Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

China tennis star Peng denies she made accusation of sexual assault

BEIJING — Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai said on Sunday that she had never accused anyone of sexually assaulting her, and that a social media post she had made early last month had been misunderstood.

Peng’s well-being became a matter of concern among the global tennis community and rights groups when she appeared to allege that a former Chinese vice-premier, Zhang Gaoli, had sexually assaulted her in the past. After that post, she was absent from public view for nearly three weeks.

“First, I need to stress one point that is extremely important, I have never said or written that anyone has sexually assaulted me, I have to clearly stress this point,” Peng said in the video posted by LianheZaobao, a Singapore media outlet.

Peng’s remarks on Sunday marked the first time she had addressed the matter on camera in public. She spoke on the sidelines of a cross-country skiing event in Shanghai that she attended.

She said that her post on Weibo, a Twitter-like social media site, which had been quickly removed, was a “private matter.”

Peng, 35, said in the video that “people have many misunderstandings” about her Weibo post. She did not elaborate.

She also said that she had been living at home in Beijing without supervision. She did not mention Zhang.

Reuters has been unable to reach Peng since her Weibo post.

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), which early this month said it would suspend tournaments in China immediately due to concerns over the treatment of Peng and the safety of other players, continued to call for an investigation.

“It was again good to see Peng Shuai in a public setting and we certainly hope she is doing well,” it said in a statement.

“As we have consistently stated, these appearances do not alleviate or address the WTA’s significant concerns about her well-being and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion,” the WTA said.

“We remain steadfast in our call for a full, fair and transparent investigation, without censorship, into her allegation of sexual assault, which is the issue that gave rise to our initial concern.”

China has not directly commented on Peng’s initial post, but said after the WTA’s move to suspend tournaments in China that it “opposes the politicization of sports.”

Zhang has not commented on the matter.

Discussion of the scandal, which emerged as Beijing prepares to stage the Winter Olympics in February, has been heavily censored in China.

Peng said in the video posted on Sunday that she had personally written a letter last month to WTA head Steve Simon, in which she denied the allegation of assault, and that an English translation of it by Chinese state media was accurate.

Simon had said at the time that he “had a hard time believing” that Peng had actually written the e-mail or believed what had been attributed to her.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has held two video calls with the 35-year-old Peng.

At the Shanghai event on Sunday, Peng appeared on a fifth floor viewing balcony with athletes from various sports, including former NBA basketball star Yao Ming, and watched for about 20 minutes, according to the LianheZaobao report.

She wore a black jacket with a China flag and a red T-shirt with the characters for China. —Reuters

Several roads remain closed, power facilities still down in many areas after typhoon Odette

THE DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Monday said eight national roads were still impassable due to flooding, landslide, fallen trees and electric posts, and damaged bridges caused by typhoon Odette.

“Partial cost of damage to public infrastructure remains at P308.9 million,” the department said in a statement.

Since. Dec. 16, a total of 29 roads have been cleared and reopened to motorists, while five roads remained with limited access as of Monday.

Closed roads included Puerto Princesa North Road, section in Langogan Bridge and section in Barangay Langogan, Puerto Princesa City in Palawan due to landslide.

Another closed road identified was Daang Maharlika in Southern Leyte due to landslide, debris, fallen trees, and electric posts.

Sections of Misamis Oriental-Bukidnon-Agusan Road in Barangay Siloo and Barangay San Luis were also closed.

Meanwhile, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said 183 poles and five towers were toppled in Bohol, based on initial aerial patrol on Monday.

A total of 598 poles and 12 towers across the Visayas and Mindanao were affected by the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year, it said.

The NGCP also said it is still finalizing assessment and has yet to determine if the power will be back in Bohol by Christmas as promised by the Energy department.

Supply has been restored in northern Cebu, Samar, and Leyte, NGCP said, after their deployed team came up with an interim scheme by synchronizing power plants to transmit power through the transmission line.

The NGCP has also restored power transmission services in the provinces of Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur in Mindanao with the energization of the Butuan-Bayugan 69kV line on Monday.

The grid operator currently has 520 personnel deployed to accelerate power restoration work in affected areas.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Inc., the national organization of 121 electric cooperatives, said that it has deployed teams to assist in the restoration of distribution lines. Arjay L. Balinbin and Marielle C. Lucenio

Iloilo City mayor eyes calamity fund for rebuilding over 6,000 typhoon-damaged houses

ILOILO CITY Mayor Jerry P. Treñas has called for a council meeting on Tuesday to put the city under a state of calamity, which would allow for the release of emergency funds to help over 6,000 homeowners whose properties were damaged by typhoon Odette last week.

Under the law, a state of calamity declaration requires approval of the local council.

In a post on his Facebook page, Mr. Treñas said the calamity fund will be used to “provide financial assistance to all victims categorized with totally damaged and partially damaged houses, and financial assistance to the lone casualty of the effects of the typhoon.”

The city disaster management office has tallied 440 totally destroyed houses and 5,768 that were partially damaged as of Dec. 19.

The mayor also appealed to telecommunication companies to expedite infrastructure repairs as phone and internet services in the city remained unstable as of Monday morning.

He said power and water services have already been restored. — MSJ

Health dep’t, medical groups reiterate opposition to vape bill after passing Senate

REUTERS

THE HEALTH department and medical organizations have reasserted their opposition to the proposed law that will regulate the sale and use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

In a statement on Monday, the Department of Health (DoH) said the Senate’s approval last week of the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Regulation Act is a “blatant disregard to public health.”

The counterpart bill in the House of Representatives was approved in May.

“The bill is retrogressive and contains several provisions that contradict public health goals and international standards. It also undermines the country’s progress in tobacco and control,” DoH said.

“By lowering the age of access to vapor products from 21 to 18 years old, allowing flavorings, and permitting advertising and sponsorship strategies, the bill, when passed into law, will expose our youth to harmful and addictive substances by making vapor products enticing and easily accessible,” it added.

Last week, several medical and health-related groups signed a letter sent to President Rodrigo R. Duterte, appealing for a veto of the proposed law.

“This bill is a deregulatory measure,” reads part of the letter dated Dec. 17 signed by at least 43 medical societies.

They said the bill, if passed into law, will undermine health regulation by giving authority to the Trade department rather than the Food and Drug Administration.

The concept of “harm reduction” used as a justification by lawmakers to pass the proposed measure, they said, is misleading because it only applies to smokers. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

House rep pushes Senate to fast-track evacuation centers bill

Evacuees sleep inside the covered court of the evacuation center after Mayon volcano flows lava fountains and ash in Legazpi city, Albay province on Saturday, January 27, 2018. (KJ ROSALES)

HOUSE DEPUTY Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani T. Zarate has called on the Senate to quickly approve a bill that will mandate the establishment of disaster-resilient evacuation centers across communities following the devastation brought by typhoon Odette (international name: Rai).

“We can save lives by ensuring that sturdy and typhoon-resilient, climate change-adaptive evacuation centers are located at a distance safe from waters and landslide-prone areas in every two to three contiguous barangays,” Mr. Zarate said.

The House version of the proposed law, titled Permanent Evacuation Centers Bill, was passed in March this year.

Under the bill, the evacuation centers would be equipped to double as an emergency response command hub as well as have facilities for food and water supply, medical services, and back-up communications.

Republic Act No. 10121, a law that strengthens the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System, does not specifically provide for the construction of dedicated evacuation centers. — Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan