Residents of Negros Island displaced by the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon on December 9 have been provided P14.792 million worth of humanitarian aid, latest data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council showed.
The assistance came from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), local government units and non-government organizations as of Saturday night, December 14.
“Family food packs, hygiene kits and sleeping kits were provided to the affected families in La Castellana, La Carlota City and Bago City,” the report said.
Data from the DSWD showed that as of 6:00 a.m. yesterday, there were 4,881 families, comprising 16,268 persons, staying in 28 evacuation centers in Negros Occidental.
These include 2,825 families or 9,328 persons in La Castellana; 721 families or 2,589 persons in La Carlota City; and 92 families or 310 persons in Bago City.
In Negros Oriental, 1,243 families or 4,041 persons are seeking shelter in evacuation shelters.
As of 10:00 a.m. Sunday, 81 percent of the target population within the six-kilometer permanent danger zone of Mt. Kanlaon, which now includes San Carlos City in Negros Occidental, has already been evacuated, according to the Office of Civil Defense-6 (Western Visayas).
Meanwhile, the DSWD-6 is assisting the La Castellana municipal government in the establishment of a designated area for livestock and other domestic animals of internally displaced persons.
The area, which is an open space at La Castellana Elementary School, accommodates livestock transported by affected farmers from the villages of Masulog and Cabagna-an.
Nine farmers collectively transported their animals using a vehicle provided by Barangay Cabagna-an on Saturday, municipal agricultural technologist Rio Dunque said.
“The local government unit is responsible for providing adequate facilities and food for the animals. The care and safety of the livestock will be supported by the Department of Agriculture along with various animal rights organizations and other stakeholders,” the DSWD-6 said.
It added DSWD-6 is “committed to ensuring that space for livestock is identified and maintained within the camps, or that separate facilities are established for these animals” in compliance with the guidelines from the joint memorandum circular No. 2, series of 2021 or the guidelines on camp coordination and camp management and IDP protection. (PNA)