📷Porac, Pampanga POGO hub | GMA News Online
As Typhoon Pepito threatens Central and Northern Luzon, former Bayan Muna Congressman Neri Colmenares, author of the Free Mobile Disasters Alert Law, has proposed an innovative solution to address potential evacuation needs: utilizing expropriated Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) hubs as temporary shelter centers.
According to Colmenares “when Bayan Muna authored the Disaster Alerts Law we believe it will help warn the people thru text that a typhoon or calamity is coming. Now we have to take care of typhoon victims during the typhoon by providing them with decent shelters,”
“We have numerous POGO facilities in areas like Bamban, Porac, Bataan, Bulacan, and Cagayan that can serve as spacious, well-equipped evacuation centers,” Colmenares stated.
“While we cannot use these as schools due to potential psychological trauma from past activities, they are ideal as temporary evacuation sites,” said the first nominee of Bayan Muna.
Colmenares highlighted that many of these facilities are already equipped with medical centers and have ample space, making them suitable emergency shelters while waiting for the passage of the Permanent Evacuation Centers bill.
Key areas with potential POGO hub evacuation centers include:
- Bamban, Tarlac
- Porac, Pampanga
- Bataan
- Bulacan
- Cagayan
- National Capital Region (NCR)
The proposal comes as local government units prepare for the potential impact of Typhoon Pepito in Central and Northern Luzon.#
