ILOILO Province has made steady progress in disaster preparedness. Every municipality (there are 42) and the province’s lone component city (Passi) now has at least one operational evacuation center — a significant achievement that deserves recognition. But in an era of stronger typhoons, rising sea levels, and increasingly unpredictable weather, yesterday’s accomplishments are no longer enough.
The challenge has shifted. The next goal must be far more ambitious: every barangay should have its own purpose-built evacuation center.
The warning from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office should not be taken lightly. More than half of Iloilo’s 1,721 barangays already have evacuation centers, but hundreds still depend on schools, barangay halls, and other government buildings whenever disasters strike. These makeshift shelters may suffice for short emergencies, but they were never designed to safely accommodate families for days or even weeks.
Climate change is rewriting the rules of disaster management. Typhoons are becoming more powerful. Rainfall is becoming more intense. Storm surges are threatening more coastal communities. Population growth is placing additional pressure on facilities that were built years ago for far fewer evacuees. Waiting until these weaknesses are exposed during the next major calamity would be a costly mistake.
Building evacuation centers is an investment in human life. Every properly designed facility represents children protected from floodwaters, elderly residents receiving timely medical care, pregnant women sheltered from danger, and families spared from unnecessary suffering.
Equally smart is the province’s recognition that evacuation centers must evolve beyond simple concrete buildings. Facilities should provide clean water, adequate sanitation, kitchens, reliable electricity, and safe locations away from flood- and landslide-prone areas. The proposal to include spaces for livestock and pets is equally practical. Many residents refuse to evacuate — or return prematurely to dangerous areas — because they fear losing the animals that sustain their livelihoods.
Yet evacuation centers alone cannot solve the problem. The provincial government’s continuing relocation of families from hazard zones through the Purok Resilience Program addresses the root of recurring disasters. Hazard maps exist for a reason. Communities repeatedly devastated by floods, landslides, or storm surges cannot continue rebuilding in the same dangerous places while expecting different outcomes.
Funding, however, remains the greatest obstacle. Many barangays simply cannot finance evacuation facilities on their own. This is where stronger partnerships among barangays, municipalities, the provincial government, and the national government become indispensable. Disaster resilience should never depend solely on the size of a local government’s budget.
The true measure of disaster preparedness goes beyond how efficiently relief is distributed after tragedy strikes. It is how many lives are protected before disaster ever arrives.
As climate threats continue to grow, Iloilo must not wait for another devastating typhoon to expose the gaps that already exist. Every barangay deserves a safe refuge. Every family deserves the assurance that when disaster comes, there is a secure place waiting for them.
Preparedness is always cheaper than recovery. More importantly, it saves lives.
