Inday Loren Inaugurates Evacuation Centers, Other Projects in Pandan and Sebaste

Senator “Inday Loren” Legarda today inaugurated two newly constructed multipurpose/evacuation centers located in barangays Patria, Pandan and Idio, Sebaste.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, said that she strives to strengthen her home province’s resilience by building evacuation centers that will serve as temporary refuge in anticipation of disasters, such as earthquakes, typhoons and floods.

“Through these multipurpose evacuation centers, we hope to provide our kasimanwas with shelter in times of need and venue for their activities. We yearn to raise the Antiqueño spirit in cases of disasters and calamities because Antiqueños deserve better,” said Legarda.

The Antiqueña Senator also led the official turnover of a coconut husk decorticating machine to the Patria Multi-purpose Cooperative and habal-habal to seven upland barangays of Pandan, namely: barangays Sta. Ana, San Joaquin, Perfecta, Badiangan, Aracay, Napuid, and Maadios.

She also met with the recipients of the DOLE TUPAD program and her scholars under TESDA Training for Work Scholarship Program and Skills Training Enhancement Program.

Aside from the inauguration of her projects, Legarda announced her plans for her hometown of Pandan this 2019. She allocated funds for the electrification and construction of additional classrooms for the Patria Elementary School. The residents of Brgy. Patria will also have a Barangay Health Station and another Farm-to-Market road, which were also funded in the 2019 budget soon to be signed by the President.

Meanwhile, in Sebaste, Legarda said that the town will receive funding this year for the construction of classrooms and increase in operational expense of primary and secondary schools, as well as a TESDA Tech-Voc training center.

Legarda also reminded her kasimanwas that they can avail of assistance for education, medical, transportation, books and even burial from the DSWD Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) as well as medical assistance under the Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (MAIP) Program of the DOH.

“I am honored to lend a helping hand and serve our kasimanwas. Their needs will always come first, and we will do everything in our power to meet them. I also ask everyone to unite for the progress of Antique. Let us set aside political colors because the real enemy is poverty, lack of jobs and ignorance,” Legarda concluded.