Canlaon City in Negros Oriental is developing a “cash-for-work” program for residents displaced by the Dec. 9 eruption of Mount Kanlaon.
“I’ve seen how the evacuation has disrupted lives,” Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas said Jan. 21. “It’s not just about being away from home; it’s about losing jobs, routines, and normalcy. I know how hard it is to worry about both safety and putting food on the table.”
Cardenas said the program would allow people to earn money while helping the community recover.
Edna Masicampo, Canlaon City information officer-designate, said hiring, which will prioritize evacuees, will likely begin in February.
The number of people to be hired will be determined after the local government validates those staying in evacuation centers, or with relatives.
As of Jan. 17, some 1,299 families, or 4,186 people, were staying in eight evacuation centers. Some 728 families, or 2,287 people, were staying with relatives.
Cardenas said the program will provide immediate support while allowing people to maintain their dignity and self-reliance.
He called on agencies and officials to support the program.
“Together, we can make sure that even in tough times, we take care of each other,” Cardenas said.
The Department of Agriculture, meanwhile, said the ongoing unrest of Mt. Kanlaon threatens to impact at least 16,000 farmers from five localities across Negros Island.
Engineer Albert Barrogo, DA-Negros Island Region regional executive director, told the Philippine News Agency that they have compiled data on internally-displaced persons (IDPs) who are farmers, in preparation for assistance should a major eruption occur.
Barrogo said 7,171 affected farmers are from Canlaon City in Negros Oriental, while 8,841 are from La Carlota City, La Castellana, Bago City, and Murcia.
The identification of these farmers is based on the DA’s Registry System for the Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), which has been validated by local government units.
Barrogo assured that efforts are being made to accommodate farmers not currently listed in the RSBSA by allowing post-disaster registration.
“Currently, the DA cannot release any assistance to these farmers as they are not allowed yet to return to their homes and farms within the volcano’s permanent danger zone,” he said.
The DA-NIR plans to submit a post-disaster rehabilitation program to the central office for funding from the agency’s P1-billion Quick Response Fund.
Planned interventions include the distribution of seeds, fertilizers, and livestock, as well as alternative livelihood support and infrastructure projects, such as farm-to-market roads. ||
