The Office of Civil Defense is getting an additional P70 million from the Office of the President for its Quick Response Fund (QRF) intended for the needs of evacuees affected by the Kanlaon volcano eruption, OCD Western Visayas chief Raul Fernandez said Dec. 20.
Local government units in Negros affected by the Dec. 9 eruption earlier sounded an alarm over the depletion of their respective QRFs, as funds had also been used during the June 3 phreatic explosion.
But Fernandez said that Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro asked for more from the Office of the President, on top of the P70 million already approved.
While he is not privy to the additional amount being requested, Fernandez said they need about P500 million for OCD operations within three weeks.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has urged internally-displaced persons (IDPs) to stay at the evacuation centers for three weeks, pending assessment of the conditions at Kanlaon volcano, which remains under Alert Level 3, or magmatic unrest, as of press time.
More than 24,000 residents of La Castellana, La Carlota, Bago, Murcia, Pontevedra, San Carlos City, and Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental, and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental, are now staying in evacuation centers.
They will likely welcome the New Year in evacuation centers, Fernandez said. “After three weeks, we will wait for the advice of Phivolcs. Should they downgrade the alert level, we will allow the evacuees to return to their respective homes.”
A total of 14 local government units in Negros may be affected by lahar flows. This prompted the OCD to mull the possibility of expanding the danger zone from the present six kilometers to 10 kilometers.
“All that we are doing is preparatory, for a worst-case scenario,” Fernandez said.
The OCD is also preparing evacuation centers in Himamaylan City, for use by evacuees from La Castellana in a worst-case scenario.
Based on a worst-case scenario, lahar may reach the poblacion of La Castellana, which may affect 20,000 residents, the OCD6 chief said.
The evacuation centers in Himamaylan City can accommodate 10,000, while Kabankalan City is willing to host the remaining IDPs, Fernandez added.
“If ever there will be simultaneous lahar flows and eruption of the volcano, we are talking about 60,000 persons, or more, to be affected in La Castellana alone,” he further said. “Our responders will be overwhelmed. All of them cannot be evacuated, so that is our consideration in extending the permanent danger zone to 10 kilometers.”
The Department of the Interior and Local Government reported that all residents within the six-kilometer extended permanent danger zone have already been evacuated.
The Philippine National Police also established checkpoints within the six-kilometer extended danger zones, to discourage residents from permanently returning to their homes. They are allowed by OCD to only do so from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., for some essential activities. | GB
