By JEN BAYLON
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) needs P1 billion in funds to put up permanent evacuation facilities for residents affected by the Kanlaon Volcano eruption.
OCD Regional Director and Task Force Kanlaon head Raul Fernandez said the final decision regarding the funding and implementation of evacuation sites will rest with the national task force established by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
Fernandez noted that the proposal must be formally presented to the task force for consideration and approval.
The proposed facilities will provide safe housing for about 35,000 evacuees from Negros Oriental’s Canlaon City and Negros Occidental’s La Castellana town — areas anticipated to be most severely impacted by a potential major eruption of Kanlaon.
Fernandez said the permanent evacuation sites are intended not only to provide shelter during heightened alert levels requiring evacuations, but they can also function as venues for community gatherings when not occupied by evacuees.
The Canlaon City government has suggested utilizing container vans as shelters at a proposed evacuation site located in Barangay Binalbagan, situated approximately 15 kilometers from the volcano’s summit.
The estimated cost of this site is around P500,000.
Fernandez indicated that currently La Castellana lacks a designated permanent evacuation site.
The proposed site in Barangay Manghanoy may still fall within Kanlaon’s danger zone.
He pointed out that La Castellana should identify an alternative site deemed safe from the eruption by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau.
In addition to these plans, there will be permanent relocation sites established for 84 families from Canlaon City and La Castellana who will be prohibited from returning to areas within the four-kilometer danger zone surrounding Kanlaon.
This includes 36 families from La Castellana and 48 from Canlaon City, Fernandez said.
Alert Level 3, or magmatic unrest, prevails over Kanlaon, which means that “magmatic unrest could generate similar ash emissions and even short-lived explosive eruptions in the short term, which may generate life-threatening volcanic hazards.”
As preparations continue, local officials are working closely with national agencies to ensure that all affected residents receive adequate support and resources.
Earlier, OCD announced plans to establish additional tent cities in northern Negros Occidental, which would necessitate immediate evacuations from Kanlaon’s six-kilometer permanent danger zone.
Fernandez revealed that, aside from Himamaylan City, OCD also plans to set up tent cities in Silay City and Talisay City.
He said the initiative is in preparation for a potential Alert Level 4 over Kanlaon.
Silay and Talisay have been identified as sites for the tent cities, where residents may need to be evacuated swiftly should the volcanic activities increase.
OCD is also mulling the construction of additional tent cities at Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City, as well as in Kabankalan City./JB, WDJ