• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The tent city in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental is steadily progressing, with 40 out of the planned 395 family tents already set up, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
These tents will serve as temporary shelters for evacuees displaced by the Mt. Kanlaon eruption, with the site being developed to ensure it meets the basic needs of the occupying families.
As of Wednesday, Jan. 29, ongoing work includes the installation of plumbing, water, and sanitation facilities to provide safe and hygienic living condition.
Once completed, the site will be ready to accommodate evacuees, offering them a secure and functional space, the OCD said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is eyeing to extend skills training program for internally displaced persons (IDPs) sheltered at the evacuation centers in the municipality of La Castellana and the cities of Bago and La Carlota in Negros Occidental.
The proposal was discussed during a meeting between TESDA-Negros Island Region Interim Director Nina Connie Dodd and Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson on Wednesday.
Lacson expressed his support for the TESDA community-based training initiatives, noting that the programs would be feasible following the skills mapping conducted by the Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center and Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, which will serve as a valuable reference for the training programs.
A total of 1,860 families, composed of 5,860 individuals, are staying in 15 evacuation centers for more than six weeks now, on top of 1,761 families, staying in other shelters as of Jan. 29, based on the records of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Alert Level 3 remains hoisted over Mt. Kanlaon. | GB
