The Department of Health (DOH) continues to test water quality in the upper communities of Kanlaon volcano to ensure safe, potable water for the people.

After the volcano’s eruption last June 3, water has become a vital issue as sulfur emissions and lahar have affected the water quality of streams, rendering it unsafe for drinking.

Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) regional director and Western Visayas Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council chair Raul Fernandez said a DOH mobile filtration truck is currently deployed in La Castellana to provide safe water to barangays situated on Kanlaon volcano.

According to him, there used to be two filtration trucks in the town catering to large number of evacuees. One truck is from the OCD and the other from the DOH.

Eventually, as the water demand eased, the OCD mobile filtration truck was pulled out of the town for deployment to other areas needing its services, he noted.

“Before we pulled out, we gathered the officials and showed them the results of water analysis and distributed 10 units of water tanks in areas with no clean water,” he said.

On the issue of identifying the four-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ) of Kanlaon volcano, Fernandez said they tapped the expertise of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to act on the exact boundaries so that families living within the prohibited zone can be relocated.

The OCD also coordinated with the Department of the Interior and Local Government as it involves the livelihood of the people relying mostly on agriculture and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to enforce security and maintain order inside the four-kilometer PDZ.

Fernandez said the OCD is prepared to face eventualities in the region by adapting the Regional Incident Management Team that employs the concept of a Unified Command System.

He said responsible officials have specific functions and take orders from the incident commander. (PIA-6 Negros Occidental)