In response to the growing number of internally displaced persons following the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon, the local government of Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, has opened additional evacuation centers to ensure adequate shelter for affected residents.

Lt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson for the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office, confirmed yesterday that five evacuation centers are now fully operational.

These include the Macario Española Memorial School, the Jose B. Cardenas Memorial High School Uptown Annex, the main campus of the same high school, the city gymnasium and the Panubigan Elementary School.

According to a report from the Canlaon City Police Station as of midnight yesterday, 863 families — totaling 2,819 individuals — are taking temporary refuge in these facilities.

Edna Lhou Masicampo, the city’s designated information officer, disclosed that residents from five barangays situated within Mt. Kanlaon’s six-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ) were evacuated under a mandatory order.

Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas personally welcomed evacuees arriving on Wednesday evening, December 11, assuring them that the city government is working to provide food and essential relief supplies.

To accommodate the influx, modular tents have been installed at the city gymnasium, while classrooms in the designated schools have been converted into temporary living spaces.

Meanwhile, normal government operations in Canlaon City have resumed after Cardenas lifted the suspension of work through Executive Order No. 93, series of 2024.

The order, shared on social media late Wednesday, stated that conditions in the city have improved sufficiently since Monday’s eruption, making it safe for government offices to reopen.

Despite this development, Cardenas reminded government agencies to remain vigilant and prioritize public safety, urging continuous monitoring of the situation as volcanic activity could still pose risks. (PNA)