By JEN BAYLON

The Negros Occidental provincial government is advancing efforts to establish a permanent evacuation center in La Castellana, a municipality at risk due to the activity of Kanlaon Volcano.

Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II revealed that La Castellana requested a P14 million budget for materials and labor needed to construct the evacuation facility, which will serve as a relocation site for internally displaced persons affected by volcanic eruptions within the four-kilometer permanent danger zone.

Diaz emphasized the importance of receiving a specific design and program of works for the proposed site, located between Barangays Manghanoy and Kamandag.

This will allow his office to issue purchase requests and expedite project implementation.

The permanent evacuation center aims to provide long-term safety for residents while ensuring compliance with standards set by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

La Castellana faces significant challenges in preparing for potential eruptions.

Up to eight barangays are at risk, and while temporary shelters like Himamaylan’s tent city have been suggested, immediate action is needed to finalize permanent solutions.

The proposed evacuation site must be certified safe by Phivolcs and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, as some areas under consideration remain within danger zones.

The OCD estimates that permanent evacuation sites for La Castellana and Canlaon City will cost P1 billion, with each site accommodating approximately 35,000 families.

These centers are envisioned as multipurpose facilities that can host large gatherings when not in use for disaster response./JB, WDJ