• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday, March 17, the P50-million budget given by the Office of the President to the province is expected to last for two months as the third wave of hot meals provision to thousands of Mt. Kanlaon evacuees resumed March 15.
The provincial government of Negros Occidental has established community kitchens to feed residents of La Castellana town, La Carlota and Bago cities, who have been staying in various evacuation centers for more than three months now.
Lacson said that more than P30 million is now being spent for the food of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and for site development of permanent relocation areas in the affected local government units.
The remaining P19 million is good for another round of food assistance for the evacuees, he added.
After two months, Lacson said he hopes that the volcano’s alert level would be downgraded so that the IDPs can already be sent back home.
Alert Level 3 still prevails over Kanlaon Volcano, as of this time.
According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), a total of 4,319 families, composed of almost 14,000 individuals, have been displaced by the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano.
La Castellana has already requested P47 million in financial aid from Malacañang to replenish its disaster funds and related purposes, following the depletion of its 2025 disaster funds.
However, there is no feedback from Malacañang yet, Lacson said.
Stressing that Negros Occidental is a typhoon-prone province, the governor said he is hoping that the volcano will no longer contribute to the necessity of using the province’s 2025 Quick Respond Fund.
“We are also hoping for an additional budget from the national government,” Lacson said.
He, however, said that the DSWD continues to supply food packs for the evacuees.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology earlier indicated that the Alert Level 3 status would not be lowered yet.
In fact, they are even preparing for higher alert level, Lacson said. “I hope it doesn’t happen. I am still counting on prayers that Kanlaon will really simmer down,” he added. | GB
