• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is making preparations in the choice of permanent resettlement sites for families in four local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental affected by the Kanlaon Volcano eruption.
Donato Sermeno III, regional director of OCD-Negros Island Region, identified the areas as La Castellana, La Carlota City, Bago City and San Carlos City.
He said that San Carlos City was initially not included in the initial deliberations of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Sermeno said the intention of San Carlos City to put up its own permanent evacuation site for residents of Barangay Codcod will be submitted to the technical working group, which will assess the proposed site.
In La Carlota City, three sites were submitted as permanent evacuation centers, including Barangays Haguimit, San Miguel and La Granja.
However, these areas are seen to be affected by pyroclastic density currents in case a major eruption happens.
Sermeno said the La Carlota City government was asked to look for other relocation sites.
While the proposed evacuation sites of La Castellana in Barangays Talaptap and Lalagsan have already been approved, Sermeno said the owner of the Lalagsan site does not want to sell the property.
He also said the proposed relocation site of Bago City has been identified as a tsunami- prone area. | GB
