• GILBERT P. BAYORAN

The Bago City government took the initiative of establishing a “Bahay Kubo” village for its residents displaced by the eruption of Kanlaon volcano, which is targeted to accommodate 24 families, composed of 50 individuals, instead of putting up a tent city.
Dr. Merijine Ortizo, City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, disclosed yesterday that they have started to install 14 nipa huts, or bahay kubo, at the seven hectare relocation site in Barangay Napoles, Bago City, with more to follow.
Sustainability wise, Ortizo said the nipa hut will last longer compared to a tent, which cannot withstand winds, and needs a floor mat to cover the ground.
Each nipa hut that will house a family of internally displaced persons (IDPs), costs the Bago City government P50,000.
Ortizo said that they requested the budget from Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, through the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, for the construction of a community kitchen and sanitation facilities, aside from portalets.
The road clearing and site development is now being undertaken by the Bago City Engineer’s Office.
Aside from nipa huts for IDPs who evacuated from the six kilometer extended danger zone of Kanlaon volcano, Ortizo said the city government will also construct a temporary shelter area for the police, camp management, disaster response, and medical teams.
Child and women friendly spaces and an open area for demo farms of the City Agriculture Office, will also be put up in the relocation site, she added.
The installation of traditional nipa huts is targeted for completion and occupation by IDPs by the second and third week of next month, Ortizo said.
The Office of the Civil Defense is putting up tent cities in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, and Vallehermoso in Negros Oriental, to accommodate the spillover of evacuees from La Castellana and Canlaon City, in case of another eruption of Kanlaon volcano.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology logged two ash emission events at the volcano, at 1:53 a.m. and 5:23 a.m. yesterday.
Alert Level 3 remains hoisted over Kanlaon volcano.*