• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The unused tent city in Himamaylan City has been temporarily closed, pending repairs and future use, after some of the tents were damaged due to southwest monsoon that hit Negros Occidental last month.
Regional Task Force Kanlaon Raul Fernandez said yesterday the 300 family tents will be subjected to a “strike-down test” to assess their condition.
The tent city in Sitio Bingig, Barangay 3 has been earmarked to be used as an evacuation center should the Kanlaon unrest status be elevated to Alert Level 4. However, it was recently downgraded by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2.
Fernandez said the tent city, which is owned by Himamaylan City, can still be used should there be occurrence of any calamity.
The tent city was put up in February with the help of the Philippine Army’s 542nd Engineering Battalion as facilitated by the Office of Civil Defense.
Fernandez said the tents will donated to the city government.
More than 4,000 families, who are residing outside of the four-kilometer permanent danger zone, have already returned home after the downgrading of the volcano’s alert level status last week.
Fernandez said the Task Force Kanlaon is now focusing on the establishment of relocation sites for 81 families inside the permanent danger zones in La Castellana, Negros Occidental and Canlaon City, Negros Oriental. | GB
