The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) encourages residents affected by the recent explosive eruption of Kanlaon Volcano to stay inside evacuation centers.
OCD-6 Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, in a statement, emphasized the importance of prioritizing safety while the volcano remains restive.
“Please remain in the evacuation centers and do not return to your homes yet. Your safety is our primary goal,” Nepomuceno said.
“In case of a potential eruption of Mt. Kanlaon, no rescues will be possible for those inside the permanent danger zone. Therefore, your cooperation is crucial,” he added.
Residents are advised to be vigilant and stay informed amid Kanlaon’s ongoing seismic activities.
Meanwhile, 8,318 evacuees remained in 29 evacuation centers in five local government units (LGUs) surrounding Kanlaon, data from the Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) showed.
At least 209 remained outside temporary shelters.
PDRRMO head Irene Bel Plotena said some evacuees have already returned home.
Furthermore, the Himamaylan City government is now preparing for the possible evacuation of families from La Castellana town if Kanlaon’s six-kilometer permanent danger zone expands to a 10-kilometer radius.
Raul Fernandez, OCD in Western Visayas (OCD-6) Director and Task Force Kanlaon chairman, said there is already a memorandum of understanding between the mayors of Himamaylan and La Castellana regarding the possible evacuation from the expanded danger zone.
He said Himamaylan is closer than the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City, which is being prepared by the Negros Occidental provincial government as an evacuation center.
Earlier, the OCD-6 was contemplating the expansion of Kanlaon’s six-kilometer permanent danger zone to a 10-kilometer radius.
This comes in light of Kanlaon’s heightened volcanic activities and the potential threat posed by a low-pressure area, which could lead to lahar flows affecting communities surrounding the volcano.
P28-M agri damage
The damage to agriculture due to Kanlaon Volcano’s explosive eruption last December 9 amounted to more than P28 million.
PDRRMO data, as of Thursday, December 19, showed damage to rice was at P2.4 million, high-value crops at P25.9 million and corn, P350,000.
Bago City, La Carlota City and La Castellana town reported crop damage caused by ash fall from the eruption.
The damage to fisheries was estimated at more than P100,000./ With reports from PNA, Jen Baylon / WDJ