President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act and the Student Loan Payment Moratorium during Disasters and Emergencies Act on Friday, December 6.
House Bill 7354, now Republic Act No. 12076, mandates the establishment of safe, fully equipped, and fully operational temporary shelters in all cities and municipalities nationwide to house individuals displaced by natural or human-induced disasters.
"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 in his speech following the signing of the law.
"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.
However, he clarified that the frequent use of such facilities is not being anticipated and expressed hope for fewer calamities in the future.
JUST IN: Batas para sa pagtatayo ng evacuation centers sa bawat munisipalidad, ganap nang batas | RH 14 @leth_narciso, DZRH News pic.twitter.com/HYEhh8Xtup
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) December 6, 2024
Meanwhile, the Student Loan Payment Moratorium During Disasters and Emergencies Act provides a temporary suspension of student loan payments during times of disasters and other emergencies.
This measure offers temporary relief to Filipino students facing loan obligations during crisis situations, including natural or man-made calamities and emergencies.
Furthermore, Marcos directed the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to provide comprehensive assistance to students, ensuring that financial challenges do not impede the completion of their education.
