Over 2,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental have been transferred to modular tents to allow the schools that were used as evacuation centers to open yesterday.

Edna Lhou Masicampo, Canlaon City Public Information Officer, told the Philippine News Agency that the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) donated the tents to accommodate the IDPs in the six schools that were previously utilized as evacuation centers.

The schools are the Jose B. Cardenas Memorial High School Main Campus, Villa Iowa Elementary School, Pula Elementary School, Malaiba Elementary School, Masulog Elementary School, and Masulog High School.

“The IDPs are in the sheltered tents and not in the classrooms. They will not be sharing the facilities with the teachers and the learners,” Masicampo said.

As of yesterday, 763 families with 2,455 individuals were inside the evacuation centers, she added.

The tents are located on the campuses, but these will not hamper the ongoing classes as they are situated away from the school buildings.

Following the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon last December 9, residents within the six-kilometer permanent danger zone of the volcano were evacuated to these schools.

Some of them have left to stay with their relatives as no one is allowed to return to their homes inside the PDZ due to the volcano’s restiveness.

The evacuees are allowed to visit their farms and homes to check on their crops and livestock from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., according to Masicampo. (PNA)