The installation of the demarcation line marking the four-kilometer radius permanent danger zone (PDZ) around Mt. Kanlaon is ongoing, the Office of Civil Defense said yesterday.

“Following the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon, OCD continues to collaborate with other agencies and stakeholders to ensure the safety and well-being of people in Negros Occidental. Currently, there is an ongoing establishment of the four-kilometer permanent danger zone, where metal poles with flags are to be erected along identified points,” OCD regional director Raul E. Fernandez said during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas.

He said they sought assistance from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to locate the exact radius from the crater of the volcano.

Fernandez said they are also coordinating with concerned local government units for the possible relocation of those living inside the PDZ, especially in La Castellana in Negros Occidental, and Kanlaon City in Negros Oriental.

He added that initially, the local government of La Castellana submitted 83 households that will possibly be displaced once the PDZ is established, but the major concern is in Kanlaon City, where more families are expected to be affected.

One of their plans is to hold a joint meeting with the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council of Central Visayas and concerned agencies involved in housing and relocation to discuss the issues.

“It takes a whole-of-government approach to relocate the affected families,” he added.

Fernandez, meanwhile, said the contingency plans of local government units in Negros Occidental are regularly updated, along with the conduct of simulation exercises. (PNA)