The Negros Occidental provincial government is prioritizing the establishment of a permanent relocation site for internally displaced persons (IDPs) living within the four-kilometer danger zone of Mt. Kanlaon after the volcano’s status has been lowered.
From Alert Level 3 (magmatic unrest/high level of volcanic unrest), the volcano was placed under Alert Level 2 (moderate level of volcanic unrest) by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Tuesday night, July 29.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson on Wednesday, July 30, welcomed the downgrading of the alert status of Kanlaon Volcano.
“It’s a welcome news, good news. Now, we just have to focus on the residents within the permanent danger area, which is four kilometers,” Lacson said in an interview.
Following the Phivolcs advisory, local government units have begun preparing for the decampment of the IDPs who have been staying in evacuation centers after the series of explosions in December last year.
Lacson said the province has already identified a relocation site and will soon close the acquisition of the property in La Castellana.
“We really want our residents in Kanlaon, especially within the four-kilometer danger zone, to really move out. I think we should really learn a lesson from this incident. On our part, we can just move on and develop a relocation site,” he added.
Data of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) showed 1,281 families or 4,180 persons are still staying in various evacuation centers in Negros Occidental, mostly in La Castellana.
At least 103 families or 300 persons are living within the four-kilometer permanent danger zone. According to Phivolcs, Kanlaon Volcano’s last eruptive activity was recorded on May 13.
It has monitored an average of eight volcanic earthquakes per day from May 14 to July 29, which indicates a significant decrease from the medium-term average of 14 volcanic earthquakes per day from June 3, 2024 to May 13, 2025.
Ash emission from the summit crater, which began in October 2024, has ceased after the last event on June 5, 2025, Phivolcs said. (PNA)