Local government units (LGUs) near Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Occidental are facing funding limitations to initiate the relocation of residents from the volcano’s four-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ).
This was stressed by Raul Fernandez, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense in Western Visayas (OCD-6), on the sidelines of the joint meeting by the Regional Development Council, the Regional Peace and Order Council, and the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council held in Bacolod City on Thursday, July 18.
Fernandez said the LGUs, including La Castellana town and the cities of La Carlota and Bago, cannot afford the cost of relocation, which is one of the challenges of the proposal.
“We are seeking the assistance of the involved national government agencies to come up with a plan on how they can relocate and support those who will be displaced and are dependent on agriculture in Mount Kanlaon,” he said.
Residents within the PDZ, such as those from La Castellana’s Barangays Biak na Bato and Masulog, still remained inside evacuation centers for more than a month following Kanlaon’s eruption last June 3.
Fernandez said, in the morning, the evacuees are allowed to work on their farms near the volcano.
“In the afternoon, they must go back to where they are now staying,” he added.
Meanwhile, the OCD-6 Regional Incident Management Team suggested that possible relocation sites for affected families should be identified by “appropriate” regional or national agencies.
They also recommended the demolition of houses within the PDZ, through the passage of local ordinances.
Based on data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, a total of 9,119 families or 28,017 individuals in 18 barangays across five LGUs have been affected by the recent eruption.
La Castellana was the worst-hit, where 8,572 families or 26,121 residents from nine barangays have been affected, data showed.
Last month, the La Castellana Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) said affected residents of Barangays Biak na Bato and Cabagnaan, living within the PDZ would be relocated, as the local government unit was studying the proposal.
“It may take a longer time to relocate them,” Municipal DRRMO head John de Asis said.
Alert Level 2 was maintained over Kanlaon, which means that the volcano is showing signs of increased volcanic activity.
Earlier, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) observed an increase in ground deformation in Kanlaon’s edifice, as it warned of higher chances of an eruption taking place.
According to Mari Andylene Quintia, Phivolcs resident volcanologist at the Kanlaon Volcano Observatory, Kanlaon is showing signs of unrest, which could lead to a higher alert level./WDJ