MANILA - Senator Win Gatchalian has refiled a bill pushing for the establishment of an evacuation center in every city and municipality in the country. Under his Senate Bill No. 940 or the Evacuation Center Act, Gatchalian said evacuation centers shall provide immediate evacuation for people who have been displaced from their homes due to disasters, calamities, or other emergencies, including severe climate disturbances, fire, and the outbreak of illnesses and diseases. Gatchalian pointed out the common practice of using school buildings as evacuation centers during calamities, which disrupt school activities. He also said there is a lack of or inadequacy of calamity-proof school buildings and classrooms. "Because of this, many classrooms also get damaged after a typhoon or calamity and therefore cannot be utilized as evacuation centers," he said in a news release on Monday. Under Gatchalian's proposed measure, new evacuation centers and improvements in schools used as ev
(File photo) MANILA-Students from areas hit by calamities, disasters, or other emergencies, such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, will be excused from paying their loans if the measure filed by Senator Lito Lapid is passed into law. Lapid said Wednesday Senate Bill 975 would defer the collection of all fees, charges, and costs relating to student loan programs for both Higher Education and Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for a reasonable period during the existence of hardship and difficulties, such as disasters, calamities, and other emergencies. "Marami sa ating mga kababayan ang nawalan ng trabaho at pagkukuhanan ng kita dahil sa mga kalamidad gaya ng lindol, bagyo, at nitong huli lang, dahil sa pandemya. Kaya sinusulong ko ang panukalang batas na ito upang mabawasan ang pasanin ng mga magulang na nagpapaaral ng kanilang mga anak sa mga pagkakataong tinamaan sila ng sakuna o pandemya (Many of our countrymen have lost their jobs and sources