• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Office of Civil Defense-Negros Island Region (OCD-NIR) has enlisted the help of the Philippine National Police to enforce the forced evacuation in the surrounding communities of Mt. Kanlaon.
Donato Sermeno, officer-in-charge of OCD-NIR, said yesterday that there are residents who continued to defy the advice of local government units to evacuate.
About 87,000 residents are living within the six-kilometer danger zone of Mt. Kanlaon, which is now under Alert Level 3 after its explosive eruption on Dec. 9.
At least 3,470 families, composed of 11,720 persons, have evacuated from their homes as of 1 p.m. Tuesday, the Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) said in a report.
It added that 19 barangays in six local government units, including the towns of La Castellana, Moises Padilla and Pontevedra, and the cities of Bago and La Carlota in Negros Occidental were affected by the eruption, aside from Canlaon City in Negros Oriental.
La Castellana is the hardest hit area with eight of its 13 barangays affected, or 2,455 families, or 7,983 individuals.
The forced evacuation immediately started, following the eruption on Monday afternoon, which produced a voluminous plume that rose to 3,000 meters above the vent and drifted west-southwest.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said that the evacuated residents will stay at a minimum of three weeks at the designated evacuation centers upon the advice of the Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, pending observation of the volcano’s activities.
Alert Level 3 means that there are increased chances for sudden and even stronger explosive eruptions to occur and endanger communities at risk with life-threatening volcanic hazards, according to Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
Lacson said that if they see the possibility of another eruption, the OCD will call for a 10-kilometer radius forced evacuation.
Stressing that it is now a serious situation, the governor said he is hoping that local government units (LGUs) will cooperate and join the forced evacuation, if necessary up to 10 kilometers.
Lacson added that Negros Occidental will declare a state of calamity within this week as he activated all response clusters to facilitate emergency response and humanitarian assistance.
“This will pave the way for the provincial government to use its Quick Response Fund, which is equivalent to P78 million,” the governor said.
In case of a worst-case scenario, the provincial government will use the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City, as the main evacuation center.
Suspension of classes also took effect on Tuesday in the cities of Bago, La Carlota and Himamaylan as well as in the municipalities of La Castellana, Isabela, Binalbagan, Moises Padilla, Pulupandan, Valladolid, San Enrique, Pontevedra, Hinigaran and Murcia in Negros Occidental, and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental.
The eruption of Mt. Kanlaon volcano affected 213,093 learners in 424 schools in Negros Occidental, and in Guimaras and Iloilo, where ash fall was reported, according to the Department of Education-Western Visayas (DepEd-6).
Hernani Escullar Jr., DepEd 6 spokesman, said the affected students will shift to alternative delivery module, to ensure their learning continuity.
“It may take a long time before students can return to schools in the affected area,” he added.
Price hike, hoarding of face mask noted
Following the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Island on Dec. 9, increase in prices of face mask and hoarding of supply have been observed as reported by concerned government agencies.
Some face masks are now being sold at P30 each from the previous P5 only.
Donato Sermeno, officer-in-charge of the Office of the Civil Defense-Negros Island Region, said on Tuesday (Dec. 10) that he will call the attention of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on how to address the increase in prices and hoarding of supply.
Engiemar Tupas, DTI-Negros Occidental senior trade and industry development specialist, said that face masks and other medical supplies are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health while the DTI takes charge of the prices of basic commodities.
In a public health advisory, the Provincial Health Office in Negros Occidental urged residents to minimize exposure to ash by taking precautions such as wearing safety goggles and avoiding the use of contact lenses.
“Wear protection to cover your nose and mouth, such as medical or surgical masks, dust masks, or wet handkerchiefs,” the advisory stated, adding that residents should keep doors and windows closed to prevent ash from entering their homes.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the ashfall affected Negros Occidental and extended to the nearby provinces of Iloilo, Guimaras, and Antique.
In Negros Occidental, ash fall was mainly reported in the cities of Bago and La Carlota as well as the municipalities of La Castellana and Murcia. | GB
