• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is preparing for the evacuation of 100,000 individuals should Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Island erupt anew.
This developed as OCD Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno on Wednesday, Jan. 15, reiterated his appeal for the evacuees, including those who were sent home last week, to stay in the evacuation centers.
Nepomuceno made the appeal as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warned the possibility of an imminent explosive eruption that would raise the volcano’s status from the current Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 4.
More than 2,500 individuals were sent home by the municipality of La Castellana and the cities of Bago and La Carlota last week.
Latest records of the Department of Social Welfare and Development showed 3,621 families, composed of 11,371 persons, are staying in evacuation centers and also in other shelters.
If Alert Level 4 is declared, Nepomuceno said the danger zone will be extended from six to 10 kilometers, which may now cover the evacuees who were sent home.
While he understands the sentiments of the evacuees, who have been staying in the evacuation centers for more than a month, and the pressure on the local government units (LGUs) concerned, Nepomuceno expressed concern “on how fast we can evacuate, if there is a need, the additional 100,000 people.”
Noting that it took two days to evacuate 2,000 people during the Dec. 9 eruption, the OCD chief said “how much more for the 100,000 persons”.
“Do we have enough time during Alert Level 4 to evacuate them?” he asked.
Nepomuceno, who met with Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, La Castellana Mayor Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan and local disaster officials at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City on Wednesday, said the OCD is looking into the details of the evacuation in coordination with the LGUs.
Ma. Antonia Bornas, chief of the Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, also briefed them on the present status of Mt. Kanlaon.
The OCD has identified 35 barangays in La Castellana, Bago, La Carlota, Moises Padilla and Pontevedra in Negros Occidental, and Canlaon City in Negros Occidental that may be affected by the pycroclastic flow hazard in case of another eruption.
Pyroclastic density currents are fast-moving flows of volcanic particles, hot gases, and ash that rush down from the volcanic slopes.
Nepomuceno assured the evacuees that concerned national government agencies are ready to provide assistance in food, health care services and medicines, financial and temporary livelihood opportunities.
Task Force Kanlaon is also preparing the nine-hectare tent city in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, which they are eyeing to become a pilot area, to accommodate the spillover of La Castellana evacuees.
OCD-Western Visayas Director Raul Fernandez said they are also looking at the cities of Talisay and Silay as well as the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City, all in Negros Occidental, and Vallehermoso and Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental to shelter the internally displaced persons if the need arises. | GB
