By CESAR JOLITO III

Authorities have directed the preemptive evacuation of residents living near Taburong Creek at Barangay Biak na Bato in Negros Occidental’s La Castellana town whenever heavy rains occur, as lahar sediments from Kanlaon Volcano continue to block the waterway.

Donato Sermeno III, director of the Office of Civil Defense in the Negros Island Region (OCD-NIR), said the precautionary measure will remain in effect until clearing operations are completed in portions of the creek clogged by volcanic debris.

Sermeno emphasized that evacuations are necessary to prevent casualties and property damage in case of sudden flooding.

Despite previous clearing efforts, he noted that some sections of the creek have once again been obstructed by continuous rains, causing water to overflow and inundate nearby homes.

“Until the lahar deposits are fully removed and the water flow is stabilized, residents near the creek are advised to evacuate whenever heavy downpours occur,” he said.

On Sunday, September 21, 17 families were forced to leave their homes due to flooding.

Of these, eight families temporarily stayed at the covered court in Barangay Biak na Bato, while nine sought shelter with relatives.

John de Asis, head of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the creek, earlier cleared of volcanic sediments washed down from Kanlaon, was again silted after continuous rains caused soil erosion and avulsion along the riverbank.

The creek, which previously measured eight meters wide, has now expanded to 53 meters — almost the size of a football field — after riverbanks collapsed due to strong water flow.

Local disaster risk reduction units, in coordination with the provincial government and the OCD, are closely monitoring the situation as rains are still expected in the coming days./CJ, WDJ