• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
After realizing that they lost food assistance and have nowhere to go, nineteen families, composed of about 45 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned to the evacuation camp that they fled in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office head John de Asis disclosed on Thursday.
Thirty-seven families, composed of 100 individuals, on June 30 abandoned the evacuation center they were staying at in La Castellana, without the consent of the concerned local government unit.
Some families decided to return to their evacuation camp after they discovered that their respective homes in the 6-kilometer extended danger zone of Kanlaon Volcano, had been damaged by the eruptions, according to de Asis.
He added that the families who still refuse to return to the evacuation camp will no longer receive food assistance.
The provincial government of Negros Occidental continues to provide hot meals to the IDPs in La Castellana, aside from food packs given from the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The frustrated internally displaced residents from within the danger zone have been living in evacuation centers since December last year.
La Castellana Vice Mayor Alme Rhummyla Nicor Mangilimutan admitted receiving reports that some IDPs have sold the DSWD food packs given to them, as they have no more money to spend for their families.
The evacuees, who abandoned the evacuation camp in La Castellana, reportedly complained of poor accommodations, and were tired and fed up of staying at the evacuation centers, saying the national government had no clear plans for them.
Negros Occidental 5th District Representative Emilio Yulo admitted that he was not surprised by the decision of some IDPs to leave the evacuation camp, stressing that evacuees were already physically tired, mentally disturbed, psychologically distressed, and sexually deprived.
“Maybe it’s even better that they’re misbehaving (pasaway) a bit, so their problems will be noticed,” Yulo said.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and other government agencies are scheduled to meet on July 7 in Bacolod City, to address the concerns raised by IDPs, and the difficulties confronted by local government units in dealing with the effects of the Kanlaon Volcano eruption.
De Asis said that only farmers that are authorized by authorities are allowed to enter the danger zone, to carry out essential activities during the window period from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
As rainy season started, the OCD – Negros Island Region has requested its central office to send pre-fabricated emergency shelters for IDPs, and for Department of Information and Communications Technology for internet and wifi connectivity in evacuation centers.
De Asis said they are working with concerned barangay officials for the transport of affected learners from evacuation centers to schools.*
