• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Internally displaced persons (IDPs), who are set to return to their homes on August 14, have been assured of aid packages by the La Carlota City government.
It includes cash assistance, food packages, and galvanized steel sheets for shelter reinforcement, according to a statement posted by the City Public Information Office, posted on the LGU Facebook account.
The returning IDPs are composed of 61 families, comprising 225 individuals.
Mayor Jose Luis “Joelu” Jalandoni recently convened the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) to finalize plans to start the return of IDPs to their homes in Sitio Guintubdan in Brgy. Ara-al, La Carlota City.
The return of IDPs, who are residing outside of the 4 kilometer permanent danger zone, was made after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) downgraded the unrest status of Kanlaon Volcano from Level 3 to Level 2.
Despite the downgrade, PHIVOLCS emphasized that Alert Level 2 still carries a chance of sudden phreatic (steam-driven) eruptions, stressing that the 4-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) must remain evacuated.
During the CRDRRM meeting, the council approved six major resolutions designed to bolster La Carlota’s disaster preparedness and response capabilities, which include mandating the decampment plan and prohibiting human activity within the 4-km PDZ, among others.
In a move towards sustainable long-term resilience, the council also stressed the need for the establishment of a permanent relocation center.
Around 1,300 displaced families or 4,000 persons, who reside outside the permanent danger zone, have returned home.*
