• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Muddy stream flow was observed again in the waterways of La Castellana in Negros Occidental due to continuing rains, local disaster unit head John de Asis said yesterday.
However, there was no overflowing of mud deposits cascading down the slopes of Kanlaon Volcano, he added.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has advised residents living near river channels around Kanlaon Volcano to stay away from riverbanks and waterways, and avoid fetching water from the river.
The public is urged to watch out for sudden lahar and mud flows, and heed evacuation and safety instructions issued by authorities, it added.
De Asis said the provincial government sent an excavator to remove the debris in narrow waterways, which was blamed for the overflowing of lahar deposits in La Castellana last month.
Donato Sermeno III, director of OCD-Negros Island Region, said that more volcanic debris generated by the recent eruption may cascade down the slopes of the volcano, if the rain persists.
Meanwhile, De Asis said they have already identified areas where some internally displaced persons can be transferred from schools being used as evacuation centers.
Exempted are senior citizens and persons with disabilities, he added. | GB
