Section 4Sec./Art. 4

Minimum Standards. - The following shall be required minimum standards for the essential facilities and conditions in every evacuation center that will be established under this Act:

(a) Location designation. - The evacuation center shall be strategically located in the community and shall not be at risk of isolation. It shall be located at a safe distance from danger areas or hazards. The Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (LDRRMC) of the local government unit (LGU) concerned shall coordinate with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to utilize the geohazard maps of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOCS), and the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in determining the appropriate location of the evacuation center.

(b) Structural integrity. - The evacuation centers shall be disaster-resilient, constructed with sturdy materials, and designed to withstand wind speeds of at least three hundred kilometers per hour (300 kph) and seismic activity of at least 8.0 magnitude. The building specifications shall be periodically reviewed and, if necessary revised and upgraded based on technological advancements and newly identified vulnerabilities.

(c) Facilities. - The evacuation centers shall be well-ventilated and have the capacity to accommodate the anticipated number of evacuees considering the size of the population in the affected area. The evacuation center shall have the following minimum facilities:

(1) Sleeping quarters for evacuees;

(2) Separate shower and toilet facilities for male and female, with one (1) facility for every twenty (20) males and females and one (1) for every eight (8) persons who have disabilities or are elderly;

(3) Kitchen or food participation' and dining areas;

(4) Trash and waste segregation and collection areas;

(5) Health care areas which shall include an isolation or quarantine area for potentially infectious persons, health station/clinic, breastfeeding room, mental wellness space, and counseling room;

(6) Recreation area;

(7) Women and child-friendly spaces;

(8) Rainwater harvesting and collection facilities;

(9) Standby power for lighting, and operation of medical and communication equipment;

(10) Powerhouse and standalope water pumping facilities; and

(11) Storage area for food and non-food items.

(d) Food safety. - Kitchen and dining facilities shall be designed to adequately accommodate the number of evacuees. Food preparation and storage facilities shall comply with sanitation standards of the Department of Health (DOH) to minimize contamination and infestation.