• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The city of Canlaon in Negros Oriental and the municipality of La Castellana in Negros Occidental declared a state of calamity yesterday after their respective localities were affected by the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon Monday night.
Chiqui Gonzales, provincial social welfare and development officer of Negros Occidental, said that in La Castellana, whose six barangays located at the foot of Mt. Kanlaon was severely affected, 203 families, composed of 842 individuals, are now staying in evacuation centers.
Mayor Alme Rhummyla Nicor- Mangilimutan said that residents of 13 barangays were hit by sulfuric fumes.
The mayor added that she convened with the Municipal Council and other departments to discuss the declaration of the state of calamity, based on the recommendation of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
In Canlaon, the City Council passed a resolution, declaring the entire city under the state of calamity as recommended of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
“Being an agricultural city, said natural calamity greatly affects the economic living condition of the people, specifically the farmers, thus there is a need for the local government to exert necessary measures to address and cushion the impact of the volcanic eruption,” the resolution said.
Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas said that 171 families in five barangays of Canlaon City were affected by the explosive eruption.
Alert Level 2 remains in effect at Mt. Kanlaon, according to an advisory issued by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
Irene Belle Ploteña, head of the Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Management Program Division, reported that residents of local government units in the southern portion of volcano were either hit by coarse ashfall or sulphuric odor.
Health personnel and social workers of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental provincial governments have been deployed in LGUs affected by the volcanic eruption.
The two provincial governments also distributed food packs as well as face masks, blankets, hygiene kits, among other basic needs of displaced persons staying at the evacuation centers.
Some 104 families in Pontevedra, Negros Occidental returned to their respective homes on Tuesday after availing food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Gonzales said.
The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division also placed all its disaster response task units in Negros Island on high alert status.
In a statement, Maj. Gen. Marion Sison, 3ID commander, said they are deploying assets designed to support evacuation efforts, medical aid and logistical needs in close coordination with the affected LGUs and disaster response agencies.
In raising Alert Level 2, Phivolcs said there is current unrest driven by the shallow magmatic processes that could eventually lead to further explosive eruptions, or even preceded by hazardous magmatic eruption.
Civil aviation authorities must also advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to the aircraft, it added.
Operations at the Bacolod-Silay Airport resumed before noon Tuesday, following the grounding of flights on Monday night, where more than 1,500 passengers were stranded as a result of the volcanic eruption. | GB
