• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The La Carlota City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC), chaired by Mayor Rex Jalando-on, recommended June 10 that internally-displaced persons (IDPs) from areas outside of Mt. Kanlaon’s six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) be allowed to return home by June 13.
IDPs from sitios Bais, Batacon, and Labinsawan in Barangay Yubo, and sitios Nailab and Tinin-awan in Barangay Ara-al, will be sent home, the city said, but residents of Sitio Guintubdan in Barangay Ara-al, which is within the 6-km PDZ, will be transferred to the City Evacuation Center for their continued safety.
The decampment will allow schools currently serving as IDP evacuation centers (ECs) to resume full in-person classes by June 16, the city added, and stressed that this will address the prolonged disruption to classroom learning.
The recommendation discussed during the CDRRMC meeting June 10 at City Hall was in response to the growing clamor from the education sector, parents, and students to normalize school operations.
Since the Dec. 9 eruption of Mt. Kanlaon, the La Carlota South Elementary School II, La Carlota North Elementary School, and La Carlota City College-Cubay Campus have been accommodating IDPs, limiting face-to-face classes to just two days a week.
The shift back to regular school operations will benefit both traditional learners and IDP students, who can now reintegrate into formal schooling, the city said. “This decision balances humanitarian concerns with the urgent need to restore educational normalcy, ensuring that no learner is left behind while maintaining the safety and wellbeing of all affected communities.”
Jalando-on assured that all measures are being taken to facilitate a smooth transition for both returning families and students.
There are 320 families, or 1,115 IDPs in four ECs in La Carlota, as per the DSWD-Disaster Response Operations Management, Information and Communication (DROMIC) report June 10.
Of the IDPs, 169 are aged six to 12 years old, and 141 are 13-17 years old, the DROMIC added. | CGC
