The La Castellana municipal government identified four barangays as possible evacuation areas in case Alert Level 4 is raised at Kanlaon Volcano.

La Castellana Mayor Rhummyla Mangilimutan identified these areas as Barangays Lalagsan, Nato, Talaptap, and Manghanoy as possible evacuation sites if Kanlaon erupts.

Mangilimutan said the identification of the sites is part of their contingency plan they have submitted to the Office of Civil Defense.

She said that they have completed their contingency plan in case Alert Level 4 will be hoisted over Kanlaon.

Mangilimutan said that aside from Negros Occidental’s Himamaylan City, the municipal government is also considering the municipalities of Pontevedra, Hinigaran and Binalbagan, as well as the cities of Kabankalan, Talisay, Silay, Victorias, and capital Bacolod as possible evacuation sites for the evacuees.

However, the local government units (LGUs) have not yet signed a memorandum of agreement with La Castellana, Mangilimutan said.

She pointed out that the eruption will affect a total of 10,000 families in the town.

Mangilimutan added that the Himamaylan tent city can only accommodate 395 families.

Earlier, Ma. Antonia Bornas, Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division chief of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said La Castellana will be the most affected by the eruption.

Bornas said the volcanic activity will also affect other LGUs, such as Bago, La Carlota and San Carlos in Negros Occidental, and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental.

Atty. Lionel Marco Castillano, Commission on Elections in Negros Island Region regional director, expressed concern that it may run out of time as it aims to complete its contingency plans for the midterm elections in affected areas.

Castillano said they also need the final contingency plans so that their own plans for the May 12 elections will also be finalized by March./WDJ