The government will continue monitoring the situation and providing assistance to affected individuals amid the restiveness of Mt. Kanlaon, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said yesterday.
During his visit to Kanlaon victims temporarily housed at the La Carlota City South Elementary School II Evacuation Center in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, Marcos said the government is keeping tabs on their activities to know their real situation and protect them from danger.
Marcos said the displaced individuals can count on the government, assuring them of continued assistance until the situation returns to normal.
“Lagi naming mino-monitor ang sitwasyon ninyo, kung kumusta na kayo, kung meron na sa inyong nagkakasakit, kung lahat kayo ay kumportable, lalo na inaalala naming ‘yung mga bata,” Marcos said.
“Asahan lang po ninyo na itong mga tulong na dinadala ng pamahalaan ay walang tigil po iyan hangga’t hindi niyo na kailangan. Hangga’t kailangan niyo iyan ay nandito kami,” he added.
Marcos said the national government is closely coordinating with concerned local government units to ensure the evacuees’ safety.
During the event, Marcos led the distribution of financial assistance worth P5,000 and family food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development to each of the 323 families or 1,111 individuals housed in evacuation centers in La Carlota City.
Since the volcano’s explosive eruption on December 9, 2024, residents from Ara-Al, Yubo and Haguimit villages situated within the six-kilometer extended danger zone have been forcibly evacuated and are seeking refuge in four evacuation centers and with nearby relatives in La Carlota City.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has raised the alert level of these towns to Alert Level 3 due to intensified magmatic unrest and has urged residents to remain in evacuation centers.
In a situation briefing after the aid distribution, Marcos was briefed about a possible “larger eruption.”
During the briefing, Marcos said he would order the release of additional funds to replenish the Quick Response Fund (QRF) of concerned LGUs to carry out their contingency plans for Kanlaon’s eruption.
“Everyone has taken the initiative to make a plan already. It’s a question of putting it together and funding it,” he said.
“We’ll work on the QRF kung ano ‘yung additional funding na magawa natin. We’ll start doing longer-term planning.”
Marcos also broached the idea of creating a task force that would implement long-term measures, including the relocation of displaced individuals and construction of new homes.
Various government agencies presented their disaster response efforts to mitigate the effects of the phreatic eruption of Mt. Kanlaon and other related local emergencies.
According to the Phivolcs’ latest report, Kanlaon’s volcanic activity continues with around 19 volcanic earthquakes recorded daily.
The volcano’s edifice remains inflated, suggesting magma accumulation beneath the surface that increases pressure and causes ground swelling.
A total of 12,630 families or 48,528 persons have been displaced, with 57 towns in Western Visayas and Central Visayas placed under a state of calamity, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s situation report released Thursday.
Kanlaon’s unrest has resulted in over P129 million in damage to agriculture in Western Visayas.
This is Kanlaon’s second eruption in 2024, with the first occurrence on June 3. (PNA)