President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday signed into law the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act and the Student Loan Payment Moratorium During Disasters Emergencies Act, underscoring his administration’s commitment to supporting families and students affected by calamities.
In his speech, President Marcos said the Ligtas Pinoy Center Act mandates the establishment of fully equipped evacuation centers nationwide to provide secure, temporary accommodation to disaster-affected residents.
“We do not wish for the frequent usage of such facilities and can only pray that we have fewer calamities. But nonetheless, we need to ensure that the evacuation centers sufficiently respond to the needs of our people affected by calamities and other such emergencies,” President Marcos said.
“Investing in these climate-resilient facilities must be the norm; for we are not only protecting the people’s lives, but also capacitating our local government units to respond, to reduce, and to manage the risks of disasters,” he added.
President Marcos said the newly signed law integrates preparedness and responsiveness into the nation’s consciousness.
The President recounted his recent visit to Tondo fire victims at an evacuation center, noting their resilience despite the challenges they faced.
“Evacuation centers like these should also be as strong as their faith and as resilient as the people’s resolve. These serve as safe havens for those who share the same struggle and find comfort amongst one another,” President Marcos said.
“In many visits to temporary shelters, I saw the plight of evacuees and it’s a very serious matter. Adding to that, the predicament is that, traditionally, public schools are being used as by default evacuation centers, and that has been the case since we ever – since we started using evacuation centers,” he added.
President Marcos acknowledged the long-standing issue of schools being used as evacuation centers, which hampers their primary purpose of fostering learning and creativity.
He assured the Department of Education (DepEd) that schools will now solely focus on promoting students’ welfare and development.
“With the enactment of this law, we heed that appeal and commit to only using our schools for the promotion of our students’ welfare and development of the education system,” the President said.
President Marcos ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to ensure timely construction of evacuation centers in priority local government units (LGUs), adhering to minimum standards, the National Building Code, and specific local requirements.
The Student Loan Payment Moratorium During Disasters and Emergencies Act, on the other hand, provides financial relief to students and their families during and after calamities by suspending student loan collections without penalty and interest.
“The benevolence of this law allows the disaster-affected students and their families to have a breathing space as they recuperate and rebuild their lives. It is our hope that this law will help lessen the financial burden off our students’ shoulders as they continue their schooling,” the President said.
President Marcos ordered the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to extend all forms of assistance to students and ensure their financial hardships will not hinder completion of their education.
He expressed gratitude to lawmakers behind the two newly signed laws. He said this is a testament of their commitment in giving paramount priority to the people’s needs.(PND)