By JEN BAYLON
The P50 million grant from the Office of the President intended for residents affected by Kanlaon Volcano’s explosive eruption in Negros Occidental remained untouched, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said yesterday.
Lacson said the funds, received from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which arrived alongside the deed of donation (DOD), are still intact due to procedural requirements.
The DOD, which was signed by the governor through an authority granted by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, must be returned to Malacañang for final approval before the funds can be utilized.
The grant has yet to be accessed by the provincial government, he added.
Lacson emphasized the urgency of this process, as they are planning to allocate the funds for food and essential supplies for evacuees displaced by the volcanic activity.
Malacañang released last month a special grant of P50 million for residents affected by the eruption in the province.
Earlier this month, Lacson admitted that he doesn’t know if there are “clear guidelines on how to use” the grant.
He said the provincial government will instead “use it in the same manner that we use our budget.”
The local government will assess how best to allocate this financial support to aid those impacted by the volcanic activity.
The provincial government is committed to ensuring that these resources are used effectively to support recovery efforts in the province.
Kanlaon’s explosive eruption on December 9, 2024, significantly impacted communities near the volcano, necessitating immediate assistance for thousands of residents who have been forced to evacuate their homes.
The provincial government is working diligently to expedite the release of these funds to ensure that aid reaches those in need as quickly as possible.
As of now, local authorities are coordinating with various agencies to assess the needs of affected families and implement relief measures.
P129.7-M in agri damage
The volcanic eruption caused damage to agriculture reaching P129.7 million, the Negros Occidental Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) reported.
The hardest hit were high-value crops with P124,931,974 worth of damage, while rice sustained losses at P4,192,837.02.
Corn also suffered damage worth P503,342.50, and fisheries had losses worth P130,005.
The OPA’s report also showed that 1,412 farmers from 22 barangays in La Castellana town, and also those in the cities of La Carlota and Bago, who are cultivating 624 hectares, were affected by the eruption.
Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense is 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.
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./JB, WDJ