The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is looking at constructing school buildings that can be used as evacuation centers in calamity-prone areas in the country.

DPWH Undersecretary Bashir Rasuman is proposing a project, “Home for Education and Evacuation (HEE) Type School Building,” since classrooms become temporary shelter for people fleeing floods, calamities and even peace and order problems.

Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. wants us to be pro-active and not merely reactive in responding to natural and man-made calamities, the HEE building is our way of giving quick and practical relief to those affected by all forms of calamities,” he said.

Under his proposal, the HEE building is a two-storey structure with two classrooms where evacuees could seek refuge in face of typhoons and other natural calamities.

It will also serve as home economics (building), mess hall or school canteen when there is no typhoon or disaster.

Rasuman said it will be constructed slightly “elevated” from the ground and will have “water and sanitation facilities to include adequate toilets, bath, washing areas, kitchen, waste disposal areas, etc.”

“Disasters are first and foremost a local phenomenom. Schools are often used as emergency shelter in times of calamities. As such, our school buildings should be resilient to natural hazards,” he said.

DPWH Bureau of Design Director Danilo Manalang has been asked by Rasuman to prepare a “special building plan” for the HEE building.

The areas of concern for DPWH are those identified “typhoon and flood prone areas” namely Malabon, Navotas, San Mateo, Rizal; Albay, and other areas in Mindanao.

Meanwhile, DPWH Region 8 Director Angelito Twaño reported the completion of the repair of roads and bridges damaged by typhoon Feria and they are now passable to motorists.

Feria wreaked havoc on a total of five road sections in the region where they were affected by landslide and bridge approaches were scoured due to flashfloods.

"As an island province it is vital to keep the road network in Biliran to be passable at all times to assure the continuous flow of economy and trade, especially the transport of basic goods and service," Twaño said.