• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Local government units in Negros Occidental stood their ground in their decision allowing evacuees from outside the 6-kilometer extended danger zone of Kanlaon volcano, to return to their homes, amid an urgent appeal of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) to reconsider.
In light of heightened volcanic activity at Kanlaon, OCD Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno has urgently urged the mayors of La Castellana and Bago City to reassess their decision allowing evacuees to go home.
Bago City Mayor Nicholas Yulo said he has no plans to bring back the internally displaced persons (IDPs) to evacuation centers, since they are living outside the extended danger zone.
That’s the policy we are following, Yulo added.
During a recent meeting of the Bago City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, he recalled that it was the PHIVOLCS who issued a statement that evacuees beyond the 6-kilometer extended danger zone may be allowed to go home.
There were 461 evacuees in Bago City who were from outside the danger zone, who went home last week, according to Merijene Ortizo, Bago City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer.
“Are they saying that they changed their policy, insofar as evacuation is concerned?” Yulo asked, stressing that the policy given to them was for no human activity within the 6-kilometer danger zone.
He admitted that they are confused as to the policy and protocol.
I think they should clarify the policy in relation to the evacuation protocol, Yulo said.
OCD Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno sounded alarm over the decision of the local officials, as he urged them to reassess it.
The appeal comes as the PHIVOLCS warned of the possibility of raising the alert status of Kanlaon Volcano to Level 4.
Should that occur, the permanent danger zone may be extended from 6 kilometers to 10 kilometers, Nepomuceno said.
In La Castellana, 622 families with 1,969 members returned to their homes located outside the 6-kilometer danger zone, according to Mayor Alme Rhummyla Nicor Mangilimutan.
All of those who went home were from outside the 6-kilometer danger zone, Mangilimutan said.
Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, administrator of the Negros Occidental provincial government, said the provincial government supports the decision of the concerned mayors, which was agreed upon during a meeting with Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson.
The residents living outside the extended danger zone volunteered to seek shelter at the evacuation centers, due to the direct effects of ash fall, Diaz said.
But we cannot compel them where they would like to go, especially if they have the options, where to go, he added.
But for those within the extended danger zone as declared by PHIVOLCS, we are compelled to evacuate and relocate them to evacuation centers, for the reason of their safety, Diaz further said.
We always adhere to the advice of OCD and PHIVOLCS, he stressed.
As of this time, Diaz said there are still 4,437 evacuees staying at evacuation centers in La Castellana, 1,112 IDPs in La Carlota, and 50 in Bago City, all in Negros Occidental.*
