Local Government Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. and Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez led the inauguration of the P59 million state-of-the-art Victorias Command and Evacuation Center (VCEC) and the Balay Silangan drug rehabilitation facility in Victorias City, Negros Occidental, on Thursday, March 14.
Both facilities are located in the 25-hectare Sidlak Victorias Global City government site being developed in Barangay XIII, where the city’s new gov’t center will also be built, Benitez said.
The Department of Budget and Management, through the Financial Assistance to Local Government Units program, provided P55 million for the construction of the VCEC and the city government added P4 million for extra requirements, he said.
The center can house up to 1,000 evacuees, while the Balay Silangan funded by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency is a drug rehabilitation facility that can accommodate up to six persons, Benitez said.
The Balay Silangan is a requirement for Victorias to be declared a drug free city, the mayor said.
Meanwhile, the VCEC is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for disaster management and emergency response, he said.
It boasts of a fully-equipped disaster operations center that has a telephone communication system that will augment centralized emergency hotlines, advanced surveillance technology, IoT equipment such as rainfall gauges, proximity and pressure sensors, and various disaster management equipment, Benitez said.
The Sidlak Victorias Media Production Center will also be housed at the VCEC, he said.
This will be the heart of Victorias City’s communication, information, and promotion services with its soon-to-air 88.9 community radio station, Benitez said.
Benitez said the VCEC also has a multi-purpose building, basketball court, and a lot more relevant facilities which will be opened to all Victoriahanons.
“We commit to utilizing the full potential of this center, maintaining the services it can offer, and turning this facility into a model of how an evacuation center should be,“ he said.
The VCEC is “a symbol of our collective determination to mitigate the impacts of calamities and protect our communities in times of need,” Abalos said.
The state-of-the-art facility exemplifies the DILG’s steadfast support for local initiatives aimed at enhancing disaster resilience, he said.*