The DSWD and LGU of Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan built this permanent evacuation center cum multi-purpose building that will serve as a temporary shelter for families who may be displaced by disasters.
The DSWD and LGU of Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan built this permanent evacuation center cum multi-purpose building that will serve as a temporary shelter for families who may be displaced by disasters.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Local Government Unit of Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan jointly constructed an evacuation center cum multi-purpose building in Barangay Maninding, which was inaugurated last April 2015.

The first of its kind in the Ilocos Region, the evacuation center will serve as a temporary shelter during disasters for families living in low-lying municipalities in the province.

DSWD extended P10 million for the construction of the evacuation center while the LGU of Sta. Barbara provided counterpart support  that included the 2,000 square-meter lot where the evacuation center was built, P1.5 million for additional construction materials, and P2 million for site development.

DSWD Assistant Secretary Vilma Cabrera, who attended the inauguration on behalf of Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, said that this structure strengthens the disaster preparedness in Pangasinan by mitigating damages and preventing the loss of lives.

She also thanked Sta. Barbara Mayor Carlito Zaplan for their support to this project.

For his part, Mayor Zaplan shared that Santa Barbara was chosen as the site for the project because of the town’s strategic location – it is situated almost at the heart of the province and within the safe zone.  ###