The explosive eruption of Kanlaon Volcano has affected 11,883 families, composed of 45,526 individuals, in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, the Office of Civil Defense in Western Visayas (OCD-6) reported.
Of the number, 4,454 families or 14,186 persons are currently staying at evacuation centers in 32 barangays, while 2,185 families or 6,953 individuals are living with relatives, OCD-6 said.
The government has provided over P123 million in financial assistance to the affected individuals.
More than 9,500 families received aid, a 100 percent assistance rate, the agency added.
Local government units and regional agencies in Western Visayas also released assistance worth P346 million.
The Negros Island Region Emergency Operations Center and Disaster Online Reporting and Monitoring System have been activated as volcano activities continue at Kanlaon, OCD-6 said.
The eruption has caused damage to agriculture in both Negros provinces, with losses pegged at P33 million.
Around 34.54 hectares of crops sustained losses, while 263.51 hectares have been partially damaged.
At least 830 farmers and fisherfolk have been affected in Western Visayas.
Seventeen classes have been suspended, while two work suspensions have been reported.
Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental’s Canlaon City are under a state of calamity following the eruption.
Earlier, OCD-6 was preparing for the possible hoisting of Alert Level 4 over Kanlaon, as seismologists saw three potential scenarios amid the continuing volcanic activities.
Three scenarios might happen at the volcano under Alert Level 4, such as violent eruptions, lava flows or a rise in volcanic activities, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
Eruptions could likely lead to lava flows, based on their assessments and comparisons with other active volcanoes.
Kanlaon is currently at Alert Level 3, indicating that there is a high level of volcanic unrest.
Possible hazards from the volcano include sudden explosive eruption, lava flow or effusion, ashfall, pyroclastic density currents, and rockfall, as well as lahars, especially during heavy rains.
P50 million aid
The Office of the President has allocated P50 million in financial assistance to assist those affected by the recent Kanlaon eruption.
Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II confirmed yesterday that the financial aid was personally received by provincial staff from the office of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
Diaz stated that the provincial government would seek guidelines from the treasurer’s office to ensure compliance with established protocols and timelines for utilizing the funds.
The local government is also assessing how best to allocate this financial support to aid those impacted by the volcanic activity.
This latest funding follows an earlier release of P30 million in aid to the Canlaon City government and the Negros Oriental provincial government, aimed at providing immediate relief to residents affected by the ongoing volcanic eruptions.
The provincial government is committed to ensuring that these resources are used effectively to support recovery efforts in the province.
‘Keep on praying’
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson is urging evacuees of the eruption to be patient and to keep on praying amid Kanlaon’s continuing seismic and volcanic activities.
“Everybody wants to go home. For now, they are happy,” Lacson said.
“We also assured the evacuees that the provincial government is with them,” he added.
Lacson suggested camp managers and evacuees to have “a prayer time just to ask that the situation at Kanlaon will improve.”
However, he was wondering how long the evacuees would stay inside evacuation centers.
Lacson also shared that among the evacuees’ main concerns was the variety of food, so they wouldn’t grow tired of the same meals.
Earlier, Lacson spent Christmas Day by visiting all 11 evacuation centers in La Carlota City and La Castellana town./With Jen Baylon, WDJ