• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Office of the Civil Defense is getting an additional P70 million from the Office of the President for its Quick Response Fund intended for the needs of evacuees affected by the Kanlaon volcano eruption, OCD 6 chief Raul Fernandez disclosed on Friday.
Local government units affected by the December 9 volcano eruption earlier sounded the alarm over the depletion of their respective QRFs, which they started to use during the June 3 phreatic explosion.
Fernandez, however, said Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro asked more from the Office of the President, on top of the already approved P70 million.
While he is not privy to the additional amount requested, Fernandez said they need about P500 million for OCD operations over three weeks.
The internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been required by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to stay at evacuation centers for three weeks, pending the assessment of activities of Kanlaon volcano, which remains under Alert Level 3.
More than 24,000 residents of La Castellana, the cities of La Carlota, Bago, and San Carlos, Murcia, Pontevedra, and Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental, and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental, are staying in evacuation centers.
They will likely spend the New Year’s celebration at evacuation centers, aside from Christmas, Fernandez said.
After three weeks, we will wait for the advice of PHIVOLCS. Should they downgrade the alert level, we will allow the evacuees to return to their respective homes, he added.
The OCD is also preparing evacuation centers in Himamaylan City, for use by the La Castellana evacuees, in a worst case scenario.
Evacuation centers in Himamaylan City can accommodate 10,000 people, while Kabankalan City is willing to adopt the remaining IDPs, Fernandez added.
Meanwhile, a total of 14 local government units may be affected by lahar flow. This prompted the OCD to entertain the possibility of expanding the danger zones from the present six kilometers to 10 kilometers. ”All what we are doing is preparatory, for a worst case scenario,” Fernandez said.
Based on such a scenario, lahar flow may reach the poblacion of La Castellana, which may affect 20,000 residents, the OCD chief said.
If ever there will be simultaneous lahar flow and eruption of the volcano, we are talking about 60,000 persons or more that will be affected in La Castellana alone, he further said.
A total of 14 local government units may be affected by lahar flows. This prompted OCD to entertain the possibility of expanding the danger zones from the present six kilometers to 10 kilometers.” All what we are doing is preparatory, for a worst case scenario”, Fernandez said.
Based on a worst case scenario, lahar flows may reach the poblacion of La Castellana, which may affect 20,000 residents, the OCD chief said.
If ever there will be simultaneous lahar flows and volcanic eruptions, we are talking about 60,000 persons, or more, will be affected in La Castellana alone, he further said.
Our responders will be overwhelmed. All of them cannot be evacuated, so that is our consideration in extending the permanent danger zone to 10 kilometers, Fernandez added.
While they have not monitored any lahar flows as of this time, the OCD 6 head, however, confirmed mudflows in some waterways of the affected LGUs.
The Department of Interior and Local Government reported that all residents within the 6-kilometer extended permanent danger zone have already been evacuated.
The Philippine National Police has set checkpoints within the 6-kilometers extended danger zones to discourage residents from returning to their homes. However, they are allowed by OCD from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. for essential activities.*
