Green Disaster Hub Opens in Jaro’s San Isidro

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By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

A new state-of-the-art people’s center was inaugurated Tuesday, July 8, in Barangay San Isidro, Jaro District, as a vital disaster resilience and emergency response hub for the community.

The three-story San Isidro Multipurpose and Evacuation Center was built through the efforts of Iloilo City Lone District Rep. Julienne “Jam-Jam” Baronda, with PHP80 million in funding from the General Appropriations Act.

Sen. Win Gatchalian led the formal inauguration of the facility, describing it as a model of sustainable and forward-looking disaster preparedness infrastructure.

“This will be a model for other people centers in the country,” he said.

He added that he is working with Baronda to replicate similar projects in other parts of Iloilo City and the province.

“It is a well-thought-out project where you do not just construct a building,” Gatchalian said.

Baronda emphasized that the facility addresses the community’s long-standing vulnerability to typhoons and flooding.

“This facility fills a longstanding gap in evacuation infrastructure,” she said.

Before its construction, San Isidro lacked a resilient evacuation center and a reliable public address system to support emergency coordination.

The center includes evacuation rooms with partitions, gender-separated comfort rooms, shower areas, and a food preparation space to support displaced families during disasters.

It also houses storage areas for relief goods and emergency supplies to ensure aid is readily available when needed.

The building features a wide open hall that serves as a shelter during mass evacuations and is equipped with a FIBA-approved indoor flooring system.

A built-in public safety sound system supports emergency briefings and large-scale coordination efforts.

The facility is also outfitted with solar panels, which are expected to save the city between PHP80,000 and PHP90,000 per month in electricity costs.

A rainwater harvesting system provides an emergency water supply during disasters.

A green wall system enhances indoor air quality and improves thermal insulation.