• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
As the third wave of feeding hot meals to thousands of Kanlaon evacuees resumed on March 15, the P50 million budget given by the Office of the President is expected to last two months, according to Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson.
The provincial government of Negros Occidental established community kitchens to feed residents of La Castellana, La Carlota, and Bago city, who have been staying at various evacuation centers for more than three months.
Lacson said that more than P30 million is being spent for the food of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and for site development of permanent relocation areas in the affected local government units.
The remaining P19 million is good for another round of food assistance for the evacuees, he added.
After two months, Lacson said he is hoping that the Kanlaon alert level will already be downgraded “so that we can send back our IDPs.”
Alert Level 3 still prevails over Kanlaon Volcano.
According to reports of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, a total of 4,319 families, composed of almost 14,000 individuals, have been displaced by the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano.
The municipal government of La Castellana in Negros Occidental, has requested P47 million in financial aid from Malacañang, to replenish disaster funds and related purposes, as its 2025 disaster funds have already been depleted.
However, there is no feedback from Malacañang yet, Lacson said.
Stressing that Negros Occidental is a typhoon prone province, the governor said he is hoping that Kanlaon Volcano will no longer contribute to the necessity of using 2025 Quick Response Funds.
“We are also hoping for an additional budget from the national government,” Lacson said.
He, however, said that DSWD continues to supply food packs for the evacuees.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology earlier indicated that they are not ready to lower the Alert Level 3 status. In fact, they are even preparing for a higher alert level, Lacson said.
“I hope it doesn’t happen. I am still counting on prayers that Kanlaon will really simmer down,” he added.*
