The La Carlota City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) has recommended the decampment of internally displaced persons (IDPs) temporarily residing outside Kanlaon Volcano’s six-kilometer extended danger zone (EDZ).

The recommendation came after the education sector, parents and students appealed for a normal resumption of classes, as several schools in La Carlota have been converted into evacuation centers due to Kanlaon’s continuing unrest.

The CDRRMC is pushing for the decampment of IDPs starting Friday, June 13, to allow schools to reopen for face-to-face classes on Monday, June 16.

The IDPs slated to return include 257 families, totaling 890 residents, from Sitios Bais, Batacon and Labinsawan in Barangay Yubo, as well as residents from Sitios Nailab and Tinin-awan in Barangay Ara-al.

Meanwhile, 62 families or 226 individuals from Sitio Guintubdan in Ara-al — located within the EDZ — will be relocated to the city evacuation center to ensure their safety.

For nearly six months, La Carlota South Elementary School II, La Carlota North Elementary School, and La Carlota City College-Cubay Campus have served as evacuation centers, limiting face-to-face classes to only two days per week.

The CDRRMC’s recommendation aims to balance public safety with the urgent need to restore normal educational activities amid ongoing volcanic threats.

The shift back to regular school operations will benefit both traditional learners and IDP students, who can now reintegrate into formal schooling.

Earlier, Ian Arnold Arnaez, spokesperson for the Department of Education’s Negros Occidental Schools Division, said schools functioning as evacuation centers are left with fewer classrooms available for educational purposes, stating the current situation is negatively impacting the learning process.

Arnaez said classrooms located within Kanlaon’s EDZ are insufficient to accommodate students./JB, WDJ