• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Canlaon City in Negros Oriental said it can only sustain support for internally displaced persons (IDPs) for three to four days, following the eruption of Mount Kanlaon Dec. 9 and the subsequent forced evacuations of residents.
Due to this limitation, the city is requesting assistance and augmentation from the national government, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said Dec. 12, adding the local government has also recommended that the national government allocates funds specifically for response efforts for LGUs directly affected by the volcano eruption.
The immediate needs for Canlaon City include food, water, shelter, health services, sanitation, and transportation. “The situation in Canlaon remains critical as the community faces numerous challenges arising from the ongoing volcanic activity.”
The OCD said current conditions are further complicated by low signal bandwidth in Canlaon, which is hindering communication and coordination efforts. “The Quick Response Fund for Canlaon City is already depleting, impacting their ability to provide necessary support.”
While the province of Negros Oriental intends to assist Canlaon, it faces challenges due to the policy governing the declaration of a state of calamity at the provincial level, since the eruption only currently affects Canlaon in the Oriental side.
Under Republic Act 10121, or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, two or more cities or municipalities must be affected for such a declaration, and the criteria based on NDRRMC Memorandum No. 60, series of 2019, specify that at least 15 percent of the population should be impacted.
As of 5 p.m. Dec. 12, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the Inter-Agency Coordinating Cell (IACC) report that Alert Level 3 continues to be hoisted over Mt. Kanlaon.
“This level indicates that explosive eruptions may occur in the short term, potentially followed by similar short-lived explosive eruptions, which could generate pyroclastic currents within a six-kilometer radius of the summit,” the OCD said in a statement.
The activity of Kanlaon Volcano may persist for up to 21 more days, and an escalation to Alert Level 4 remains a possibility, the OCD said and urged local government units, disaster management officials, and the public to remain prepared for any developments.
The Task Force/IACC Kanlaon has also submitted several requests to the national IACC for assistance. These include the transportation of donations from Pagcor, the deployment of a rapid deployment team equipped with a water filtration truck, and the provision of additional family tents for the IDPs.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas, meanwhile, said Dec. 12 that 3,400 family food packs (FFPs) are being unloaded at the DSWD Field Office 7 Negros Oriental warehouse from the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC).
“This is to ensure the availability of essential food supplies, in case additional augmentation support is needed in Canlaon City,” the DSWD7 said, adding that its personnel at the Negros Oriental warehouse are also loading non-food items (NFIs) onto trucks headed for Canlaon.
As of 10 a.m. Dec. 12, the DSWD7 recorded 845 families, or 2,925 individuals displaced in Canlaon and now in evacuation centers.
The Dec. 9 eruption affected 6,828 families, or 23,620 persons in five barangays of Canlaon City, the DSWD7 added. | CGC
