Losses to agriculture two weeks after the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano have reached P32.3 million, the Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) said.
Data from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist submitted to the PDRRMC, as of Saturday, December 21, showed damage to high-value commercial crops was pegged at P29.2 million; rice at P2.5 million; and corn at P503,000.
The explosive eruption has also affected 298 hectares of agricultural crops in the cities of La Carlota and Bago, as well as La Castellana town.
The biggest damage was recorded in La Carlota, which amounted to P16.6 million, PDRRMC data showed.
Losses to livestock reached P268,429.50, with 1,881 animals affected, while aquaculture suffered damage at P214,000, it added.
Earlier, the Provincial Veterinary Office reported that 684 animals, owned by 132 raisers, were rescued and evacuated in La Castellana’s Barangay Robles.
Meanwhile, 6,585 families, composed of 21,714 individuals, from 21 barangays in seven local government units in Negros Occidental have been affected by Kanlaon’s eruption, PDRRMC head Irene Bel Ploteña said.
At least 2,672 families or 8,462 individuals are still staying at several evacuation centers, while 60 families, composed of 209 residents, are living with relatives.
Plotena said some evacuees have already returned home.
Concern
The La Castellana municipal government has expressed concern about the possible expansion of Kanlaon’s six-kilometer permanent danger zone, admitting that depleting resources would pose challenges for evacuation response.
“Sa ngayon, exhausted na talaga ang local government unit. Si Mayor [Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan, nag-aalala]. If ever na lilipat pa kami, mahihirapan kami,” John de Asis, head of the La Castellana Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said.
Nine barangays in the town will be affected by the proposed PDZ expansion to 10 kilometers, triggered by Kanlaon’s threat of lahar flows.
The local government unit is considering the transfer of evacuees to Himamaylan City, where there are tent cities.
Earlier, the Himamaylan City government was also preparing for the possible evacuation of families from La Castellana.
There is already a memorandum of understanding between the mayors of Himamaylan and La Castellana regarding the possible evacuation from the expanded danger zone, Raul Fernandez, Office of Civil Defense in Western Visayas Director and Task Force Kanlaon chairman, said.
Over the weekend, Kanlaon released a total of 7,445 tons of sulfur dioxide, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
Eight volcanic earthquakes were also recorded at the volcano.
Kanlaon is currently under Alert Level 3, which indicated that a “magmatic intrusion is driving unrest, with a hazardous eruption may occur in weeks,” Phivolcs said.
Phivolcs warned residents of possible hazards from Kanlaon, such as sudden explosive eruption, lava flow or effusion, pyroclastic density current, ashfall, and rockfall, as well as lahars during heavy rains./ With reports from GMA Integrated News / WDJ