A PHP17.8-million evacuation center will stand in the middle of Olango Island to serve as a protective shelter for residents during calamities.

Lapu-Lapu City Rep. Cindi King-Chan and her husband, Mayor Junard Chan, led on Thursday the groundbreaking of the proposed evacuation center that will be constructed in Barangay Talima.

Olango, with a total land area of 1,030 hectares and a population of 41,128, has 10 barangays – Baring, Caw-oy, Sabang, Santa Rosa, Talima, Tingo, Tungasan, San Vicente, Caohagan, and Pangan-an.

According to a statement released by the city public information office, the evacuation center, which will sit on a 1,335-square-meter area, is set to be completed on Nov. 30.

Aside from the evacuation center, the island residents will also benefit from a PHP9.8-million multi-purpose building, which is expected to be finished in October.

The legislator said Typhoon Odette had taught local officials a lesson that preemptive evacuation remains the ideal move as it reduces the risk of losing lives in times of calamity.

“I remember that the Lapu-Lapu City government evacuated about 10,000 individuals a day before Typhoon Odette struck the area around the historical island, including the Olango Islands. This evacuation center will protect the people from the harm of the typhoon and other disasters,” King-Chan said.

Meanwhile, Mayor Chan said once Sitio Suba in Sabang village on Olango Island becomes connected to Pangan-an Island through a bridge, the island economy that is reliant on seafood and its visitor traffic would get a boost.

He also said the island would get an electrical connection once the bridge is finished, giving Pangan-an Island a 24/7 power supply.

“Water pipes will also pass through the bridge for an efficient water supply on the islet,” Chan said. (PNA)