JINGGOY BACKS PBBM ON IMPLEMETATION OF ‘LIGTAS PINOY CENTERS’

DESPITE political differences with the administration that landed him in jail, Senator Jinggoy Estrada welcomed the announcement of President Marcos Jr. on the implementation this year of RA 12076 or the ‘Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act’ during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 27.

Estrada, who is now in detention for alleged plunder after being linked to the flood control project scandal, said the President’s statement “affirms the urgent need to fully implement the landmark measure that mandates the establishment of safe, permanent, and disaster-resilient evacuation centers across the country.”

Estrada sponsored and shepherded the measure’s approval in the Senate in September 2024, an important piece of legislation intended to save lives, but which remains unimplemented up to now. It was signed into law by President Marcos Jr., on December 6, 2024.

RA 12076 mandates for the establishment of strategically located evacuation center in all 149 cities and 1,493 municipalities in the Philippines, based on standards designed to withstand 300kph windstorm and 8.0 magnitude earthquake.

Not just a resilient structure, each center is specified to be complete with amenities– sleeping areas, kitchen, separate T&B for male and female, standby power supply, etc.—to make the stay of evacuees as comfortable as possible.

The Office of the Civil Defense/National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC), as the lead agency, has been mandated to draw up a “priority list” of areas in the country where Ligtas Pinoy Centers must be built at the soonest possible time.

On the other hand, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is mandated by the law to carry out the centers’ construction.

Based on record, there are presently 57,899 designated evacuation centers in the country with 1,300 in Metro Manila as of December 2025.

However, there is no data available if these are now compliant with RA 12076 or, if new evacuation centers are being built complying with the standards approved by Congress.

“Hindi natin kayang pigilan ang mga bagyo, lindol, at iba pang kalamidad, ngunit kaya nating tiyakin na may ligtas na masisilungan ang ating mga kababayan.

“Ito ang layunin ng batas na ito — ang gawing pamantayan ang pagkakaroon ng maaasahan, matitibay, at kumpletong evacuation centers sa buong bansa,” Estrada said.

Based on record, there are presently 57,899 designated evacuation centers in the country with 1,300 in Metro Manila as of December 2025. However, there is no data available if these are now compliant with RA 12076 or, if new evacuation centers are being built complying with the standards approved by Congress.

He also recalled that the measure was among the priority legislative initiatives identified under the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023–2028, recognizing the country’s vulnerability to natural hazards and the need to strengthen disaster preparedness and response.

“In light of the human toll and devastation brought about by more frequent and more intense natural calamities caused by our rapidly changing climate, it is imperative that we have permanent evacuation centers which will not only offer sanctuary to affected families during disasters but also provide them shelter while they rebuild their homes,”

Major General Harold Cabreros, who retired as Vice Commander of the Philippine Army and currently head of the OCD, said they welcome “very much and with great sincerity” the President’s mention of the Ligtas Pinoy Centers during the SONA.

“Hopefully too, Congress can allocate more fund so we can build as many center as soon as possible because they are badly needed by our countrymen.”  He also placed the cost of each center at ₱75 million.

Cabreros also confirmed they have already submitted to Malacañang the list of areas where the centers should be built immediately after a science-based study of each region and provinces of the country.

Further remarking to the President’s SONA where the Chief Executive claimed the government is no longer “reactive” but is now “predictive” in responding to calamities, Estrada also pointed to RA 12287, or the ‘Declaration of State of Imminent Disaster Act,’ of which he is also the principal author and sponsor.

“It marks a historic milestone for the Philippines as the first country in the region and possibly worldwide, to legislate anticipatory disaster action,” he pointed out, adding:

“These two landmark laws work hand in hand. One allows government to act before disaster strikes, while the other ensures that our people have safe and dignified shelters when they need to evacuate.

“Together, they represent a decisive shift toward a more proactive, comprehensive, and people-centered approach to disaster risk reduction and management.”