• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Sixty-one families displaced by the Kanlaon Volcano eruption, in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, are slated to return their homes on August 14, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development- Negros Island Region.
Composed of 225 individuals, the internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Barangay Ara-al, La Carlota City, have been staying at the poblacion evacuation centers for several months already.
More than 4,000 IDPs in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, and Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, have returned to their respective residences last week, after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology downgraded the Kanlaon unrest status to Alert Level 2 on July 29.
However, there are 61 families, or 213 individuals, whose residences are located within the four-kilometer permanent danger zone, who are still occupying evacuation centers in La Castellana.
As part of early recovery and rehabilitation efforts for IDPs) affected by the Kanlaon Volcano eruption, the Regional Incident Management Team (RIMT) conducted a site visit on August 5 in Bago City and La Carlota City in Negros Occidental
Members of the RIMT went to Brgy. Ilijan in Bago City, to assess the condition of 22 damaged houses of IDPs who are temporarily sheltered at the City’s Permanent Evacuation Center.
In a statement the DSWD-NIR said that the Kanlaon eruption left roofs torn off and damaged power lines, which disrupted electricity services in the area.
The visit, according to DSWD, underscored the urgent need for recovery support and highlighted the resilience of the affected community.
The RIMT also joined the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) meeting in La Carlota City Hall, where discussions focused on preparations for the decampment of the remaining displaced families from Brgy. Araal, who are scheduled to return to their homes.
Raul Fernandez, Task Force Kanlaon head, said the National Task Force Kanlaon is now focusing on building permanent relocation sites for families, who were not allowed to return to their respective homes.
Fernandez added that the government plans to build permanent evacuation centers for residents who may be displaced by future volcanic unrest.*
