The Valenzuela City government is putting up a structure called Allied Local Emergency and Evacuation Response Teams (Alert) Center to house all agencies focused on keeping the local government functioning in times of calamities. Mayor Rex Gatchalian said the Alert Center was conceived after seeing the government and people’s plights when super typhoon Yolanda ravaged Tacloban city in November 2013. Yolanda left more than 7,000 dead and close to P90 billion in damages. In concept, Gatchalian said the center will house the CCTV (closed-circuit television) group, the whole rescue unit, the disaster-preparedness group of the City Social Welfare and Development Office; the disaster arm of the Public Information Office; and a room that will serve as the Mayor’s command center during disasters.
