By MAE SINGUAY

Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz convened a meeting with La Castellana Mayor Rhummyla Nicor Mangilimutan yesterday to discuss the transfer of evacuees to alternative locations amid Kanlaon Volcano’s continuing unrest.

The transfer of evacuees ensures the uninterrupted holding of classes for the new school year on Monday, June 16.

Mangilimutan said there are more than 2,000 evacuees from Barangays Sag-ang, Mansalanao, Masulog, Biak na Bato, and Cabagna-an to be relocated from schools to designated areas such as barangay covered courts and other identified safe sites.

La Castellana was the hardest hit among local government units (LGUs) affected by the volcanic unrest.

The meeting was attended by representatives from concerned government agencies and key stakeholders.

A report was presented during the meeting on the decampment at school-based evacuation centers in compliance with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s Memorandum No. 135, which mandates the clearing of schools being used as evacuation centers.

Negotiation 

Meanwhile, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the provincial government is negotiating with the lot owner for the proposed relocation sites for internally displaced persons (IDPs) living within Kanlaon’s four-kilometer permanent danger zone.

It is reported that the province has allocated P14 million for the establishment of a relocation settlement site.

Earlier, it was proposed that the site would be in La Castellana’s Barangay Manghanoy, located outside the danger zone.

However, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau disapproved of the site proposal because it is near the LGU’s sanitary landfill.

The provincial government assured the La Castellana government that they would assist them with the relocation of IDPs./MS, WDJ