SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday urged the government to uphold the safety and welfare of children in areas badly hit by Super Typhoon Karding.

Gatchalian called on the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Health and the Department of Education to ensure that children are in safe spaces, emphasizing that they are the most vulnerable when disasters strike.

The senator also urged the agencies to make sure that children’s health, nutrition and sanitation needs are met. He also encouraged the agencies to provide psychosocial support.

“Nakita na natin sa kasaysayan ang epekto sa mga kabataan kapag mayroong mga sakuna. For instance, children were battling malnutrition and diseases in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda. A great number of children had to stop attending classes then to help their families earn a living. Some were even forced into prostitution,” Gatchalian said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported on September 26 that 20,380 families were preemptively evacuated because of the super typhoon.

Based on the NDRRMC situational report for September 26, a total of 43 schools and 66 classrooms in Regions NCR, III, and V were used as evacuation centers.

“Kailangang tiyakin natin ang kaligtasan ng mga kabataang apektado ng nagdaang bagyo. Dapat din nating tiyakin na matutugunan natin ang pangangailangan nila pagdating sa kalusugan at makakabalik sila nang ligtas sa kanilang mga paaralan, lalo na’t matagal na naantala ng pandemya ang kanilang edukasyon” Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, said.

The lawmaker reiterated the need to construct structurally sound evacuation centers in all cities and municipalities. He explained that this is to avoid school buildings and facilities from being used as temporary shelters during emergencies.

Gatchalian refiled the Evacuation Center Act which seeks to establish an evacuation center in every city and municipality in the Philippines.

He also refiled the 21st Century School Boards Act that mandates the expansion of local school boards’ functions to include the introduction of timely, organized and localized interventions in the delivery of basic education services during times of calamities, disasters and emergencies.