UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST-CALOOCAN

1133 Samson Road, Caloocan City, Philippines

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS, ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

PROPOSED EVACUATION CENTER:

A PROTOTYPE FOR ALL TOWNS AND CITIES
A Research-Based Partial Requirement for the Preliminary Period of the Architectural
Design 7: Community Architecture & Urban Design Course

Submitted by:
Briones, Denver C.
Galvez, Karl
Miranda, Leidee Ann
Ventura, Ace Christian C.
ARCH4B

Submitted to:
Ar. Michael D. Landicho, uap.
Architectural Design 7 Instructor
 Chapter 1: The Problem and Its Background

1.1. Background of the Study

The Philippines is an archipelago located in the South-East Asia as one of the
tropical countries in the Northern Hemisphere. This dictates that the country is generally
hot throughout the year and experiences a rainy season during the latter half of the year
and a dry season during the first half. However, the Philippines is also being subject to
natural calamities that are currently occurring within the country. For instance, the
country is mostly exposed to typhoons and torrential rainfalls, resulting in flashfloods
and landslides which affect the mountainous areas, as well as storm surges on the
lowlands and near the shorelines. The latest devastating typhoon that damaged the
nation based on modern meteorological technology and monitoring is the Typhoon
Haiyan or the Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, which the authorities were feared as many as
10,000 men died in that typhoon. These evidences led the TIME Magazine during the
same year to include the Philippines as the "most typhoon-exposed country on Earth."
In addition to these calamities are the possibilities of volcanic eruptions (which
sometimes result in ash falls and lahar flows) and earthquakes, since the Philippines is
also located in the Pacific Ring of Fire. Though the volcanic eruptions rarely affect the
residents nearby nowadays, the mostly observed earthquake also known as the "Big
One", however, will be fearsome for the residents near the West Marikina Valley Fault
and will likely to occur sooner or later on.
Aside from the calamities that affect the Philippines, there are also cataclysmic cases
which degrade the lifestyle quality of the Filipinos such as the numerous crimes which
justice hasn't served, as well as the war and terrorism that threatened most of our
countrymen. Now that the "War of Drugs" and the follow-up wars after the Marawi Siege
currently flashing in our news nowadays, it is of no doubt that the Philippines is included
as second in the world’s most violent countries though the Filipinos felt more peace in
the country due to the governmental actions against these crimes.
As a response to these events occurred and even future catastrophes that will worsen
the condition of the provinces, the Philippine government with the assistance of the
National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDDRMC), the National
Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and the Regional Development Council
(RDC) of Aurora, are tasked to build and construct an evacuation center which is
located in the Aurora Province, wherein it is mostly affected by typhoons and, in turn,
landslides and storm surges. The evacuation center will act as a refuge for the 1,000
affected families during calamity and during the post-event recovery, with complete
facilities specializing in medical and psychological rehabilitation as well as sustainable
ways to answer the needs of the evacuees according to the responses of the
community.
1.2. Statement of the Problem
The site is located in the Aurora Province, wherein it is mostly affected by
typhoons and, in turn, landslides and storm surges, and there will be more that will
affect the province and its residents in the future.
In addition to the mentioned problems above, the following indicated below are other
problems most evacuation centers encountered.
1.2.1. General Problems
Utilities: Some evacuation centers lack power and water supply, especially in their
nearby locations wherein damaging events such as typhoons occurred. Most of them
rely in generators and portable toilets for their sanitary needs.
Accessibility: This is one of the problems an evacuation center has faced, since
different factors may affect the transport and thus hamper the transportation of the
essentials, making the accessibility to the evacuation centers impossible to reach.
1.2.2. Specific Problems
Insufficiency and Inefficiency: This refers to the essentials in the evacuation centers
that are consumable only for a short time, such as food, water, and clothing; as well as
the lack of facilities such as those that will serve people physically, mentally, and
psychologically and the equipment used during evacuation that are only in few
numbers.
Gender Sensitivity: Most of the rooms in the evacuation centers are not segregated or
sensitive for genders, such as bedrooms and toilets. But not only the gender of the
people should be emphasized when using said rooms in the structure, but also the
condition and lifestyle of most families, while others are single. Some of them are
Catholics, while others are Muslims. Other families deserve solitude and quietness,
while some are likely to listen to loud music. Due to differences to consider in designing
evacuation center, this is most likely the factor architects would
Invulnerability: Despite the safety and security of the evacuation centers, whenever a
severe natural calamity or a cataclysmic event occurs within the vicinity of the structure,
it will affect the evacuees even inside the structure as well as increasing their trauma
and tremendous stress from these damaging events.
Immunity from Various Diseases: Most of the evacuation centers lack medical
facilities and as a result, some of the evacuees have diseases that are contagious to
other evacuees. Its source may come from unmaintained facilities or worse from the ill
evacuees themselves.
Sustainability and Resiliency: This is also related to insufficient and inefficiency, in
that it refers to ways the evacuation center should do in order to sustain itself in case of
scarcity of essentials (food, water, clothing, power, etc.). However, not only the
essentials should be considered, but also its additional use whenever there are no
calamity or cataclysmic event occurred within the vicinity.
Mobility:
Economical:
Flexibility:
1.4. Research Objectives
Like what is said above, the safety of the evacuees will always be a number one
priority. An evacuation center should have its site large enough equipped with enough
facilities and equipment to accommodate 1,000 families. The following indicated below
are the general and specific objectives this research study aims to prevent and sustain
for a long period of time

 To identify the basic needs of the users and evacuees during evacuation and
during post-event rehabilitation.
 To observe the behavior movements of the users and stakeholders who will use
the proposal.
 To be informed of ways evacuation centers will sustain itself during calamity and
during recovery.
1.5. Limitations and Delimitations of the Study
This research study focuses only on the understanding in designing and planning
the required spaces of the evacuation center according to the opinions and the basic
needs of the residents whenever a catastrophe occurs within the vicinity. There are also
availability of Internet for accessing to the online websites related to the proposal, as
well as the architecture-related references such as the NBCP and other related laws
and codes. Not only the architectural aspect of the proposal will be focused on the
research study, but also the structural, plumbing/sanitary, electrical, and mechanical
aspects - though these aspects will be discussed as minor topics but nevertheless will
be included in the architectural drawing requirements.
1.6. Definition of Terms
Evacuation – the action of removing people from a place of danger to a safe place.
Evacuees – persons evacuated from a catastrophe-affected place to somewhere safe.
Catastrophe – an event causing great and often sudden damage or suffering.
Cataclysm – a large-scale and violent event in the natural world.
Calamity – an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress.
Disaster – a sudden event, such as an accident or a natural catastrophe, that causes
great damage or loss of life.
Disaster risk – the potential loss of life, injury, or destroyed or damaged assets which
could occur to a system, society or a community in a specific period of time, determined
probabilistically as a function of hazard, exposure and capacity.
Disaster risk reduction – the aim of reducing the damage caused by natural hazards
like earthquakes, floods, droughts and cyclones, through an ethic of protection.
Immunity – the state of not being affected or influenced by something.
Vulnerability – the quality of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or
harmed either physically or emotionally.
Sustainability – the ability of the building/structure to be maintained at a certain rate or
level.
Resiliency – the capacity of the building/structure to recover quickly from difficulty.
Rescue – an act of saving or being saved from danger or distress.
Evacuation center – usually large facilities that can accommodate people in transition
due to an emergency.
Rehabilition center – a structure with the action of restoring someone to health or
normal life through training and therapy after imprisonment, addiction, or illness.
Volunteer center – a facility wherein an individual or group provides services for no
financial or social gain to benefit another person, group or organization.
NDRRMC – also known as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council, it is a working group of various government, non-government, civil sector and
private sector organizations of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines
established by Republic Act 10121 of 2010.
 Chapter 2: Case Studies and Review of Related Literature
1.1. Local Projects – 2
1. Project Title: Sirungan ha Guiuan (Shelter of Guiuan)
Project Location: Guiuan, Eastern Samar, Philippines

Guiuan in Eastern Samar is the first municipality to be severely affected after

absorbing full impact of Typhoon Yolanda's first of its six landfalls. More than two years
later, the evacuation center - the Sirungan ha Guiuan - became the refuge for up to 350
people and a space for the community to gather during normal periods. It symbolizes
the resiliency of the Guiuananons by means of the structure’s ability to withstand
Category 5 winds and Magnitude 8 earthquakes combined. This multi-purpose
evacuation center also includes a child-friendly playground and a colorful mural
designed by children and artists of Guiuan, as well as storage space for supplies,
generators and fuel. Its design maximizes natural light and ventilation, with the ample
lighting minimizing bullying and gender-related violence.
2. Project Title: Pilot Evacuation Center
Project Location: Barangay Duhat, Santa Cruz, Laguna, Philippines
 Though it is located near the Laguna Lake, Sta. Cruz, Laguna is one of the
provincial cities which had been survived natural calamities (fire, typhoons) and
cataclysmic events (historical war and terrorism). Completed in July 2014, the first so-
called permanent evacuation center for disaster affected-families throughout the
CALABARZON region is a two-floor government building located in Barangay Duhat
and constructed on a 2,139 sq. m. lot. Among the few to rise using national and local
government funds, it can accommodate 1,000 families. It also includes 52 rooms with
the roof deck turning into a tent city for additional accommodation of evacuated families;
one room is a breastfeeding station while another room is a playground, as well as
twelve comfort rooms.