• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Negros Occidental Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) reported on Monday (June 24) that the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon killed livestock and chickens within the four-kilometer permanent danger zone.
Dr. Ryan Janoya, PVO officer-in-charge, said that a total of 3,421 heads of swine, cattle, carabao, goats and sheep died due to volcanic fumes.
Of the mortalities, the PVO reported that 3,210 were chickens.
Estimated value of animal losses was placed at P374,200.
They suffered respiratory infection and digestive problems due to inhalation of sulfur, Janoya said.
With this development, the PVO held a series of veterinary medical missions last week in the affected barangays to help other animals recover from burns and digestive problems.
Janoya said they are providing feeds and treatments to affected animals, especially in the upper portion of Barangay Cabagna-an in La Castellana, where some animals suffered minor burns.
Three weeks after the volcanic eruption on June 3, the majority of the affected La Castellana residents have returned home.
John de Asis, head of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, reported that only 39 families, composed of 116 individuals, who are residents of barangays of Biak Na Bato and Cabagna-an are left in evacuation centers.
These are families residing within the four-kilometer permanent danger zone of the volcano, De Asis said.
It may take time to relocate them, he added.
More than 4,000 La Castellana residents evacuated from their homes, following the volcanic eruption.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has recommended that nobody should be allowed to reside within the permanent danger zone.
As of June 24, Phivolcs logged four volcanic quakes at Kanlaon volcano, which remains at Alert Level 2 status. | GB
