By CESAR JOLITO III
Newly sworn La Castellana Mayor Añejo Nicor is shifting focus from emergency relief to long-term safety and sustainability by establishing permanent relocation sites for families currently living within Kanlaon Volcano’s extended danger zone amid continuing unrest.
“This is about the safety and future of our people. We cannot keep families in constant fear and uncertainty,” Nicor said.
He took his oath of office before barangay captains and key provincial officials on Friday, June 27.
Nicor is now appealing for support from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the provincial government to help secure land and funding for the relocation sites.
Negotiations with two landowners are underway to identify possible safe zones for resettlement, he said.
More than 4,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been stuck in limbo for over six months, either sheltered in evacuation centers or staying with relatives.
Despite limited access granted to farmers during safe hours, their communities remain at risk inside Kanlaon’s six-kilometer extended danger zone.
Nicor also urged his political opponents to put aside rivalries and join hands for La Castellana’s development, saying, “The elections are over. It’s time to work together.”
He took over the mayoralty position from his sister, Alme Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan, who will now serve as vice mayor.
Mangilimutan thanked her constituents and municipal staff for their support during her term and expressed confidence in her brother’s leadership.
She also urged him to continue unfinished development priorities, particularly the municipal hospital and the further growth of Colegio de La Castellana in partnership with the Commission on Higher Education.
As the new administration begins, Nicor’s vision marks a pivot from short-term disaster response to long-term resilience and recovery.
33 families return home without consent
Meanwhile, the La Castellana government will locate the 89 IDPs, composed of 33 families, who returned to their homes in Barangay Cabagna-an without permission from the local authorities early yesterday morning.
Nicor and Mangilimutan confirmed the evacuees boarded a truck and left the evacuation site, La Castellana National High School, without authorization from OCD and the local government unit (LGU).
According to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), the IDPs departed without coordinating with the camp manager or securing the LGU’s consent or the Incident Management Team (IMT).
MDRRMO head John de Asis said that while the camp manager was present at the time, the evacuees were not stopped from leaving.
He denied claims made in a viral video by one evacuee, who alleged that they were suffering at the evacuation site due to heat, rain and leaking tents, and claimed they were being treated “like animals.”
De Asis refuted these accusations, explaining that the evacuees were housed in a covered court and that the LGU has been doing its best to provide for their needs.
The LGU and IMT are now calling for accountability from those who allegedly influenced the evacuees to return home and from the individual who recorded and uploaded the video on social media.
They are urging the concerned parties to submit a written explanation or appear before the IMT or Barangay Cabagna-an officials within 24 hours.
They are also encouraging the removal of the video from social media platforms.
The LGU reiterated that IDPs are still allowed to visit their homes between 6:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., but emphasized that full return to the permanent danger zone remains unauthorized.
“Ginapangabay gid namon nga magbalik kamo sa evacuation center. Ginatutukan gid ini sang lokal nga panguluhan para sa inyo kaayuhan,” the LGU appealed to the evacuees./CJ, WDJ