Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez assured that Bacolod City is committed to taking in evacuees from affected local government units if Kanlaon Volcano’s alert level is raised to four.
“The City of Bacolod is prepared to assist… It will always open its arms to its neighbors. We are prepared to assist those who need us the most,” Benitez said at a press conference on Tuesday, Feb. 25.
“We will welcome everybody,” he said.
The Department of Social Services and Development has prepared all of Bacolod’s facilities that can accommodate evacuees, he said.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and working with our DRRMO to ensure that our city is prepared to accommodate evacuees,” Benitez said.
Benitez said he also inquiring if unoccupied abandoned National Housing Authority housing units in Bacolod can be used by the evacuees.
Bacolod City assistance to the affected local government units is ongoing, Benitez said.
Bacolod is always willing to help, he said.
A permanent solution is needed to relocate residents within the 4-kilometer Kanlaon Volcano danger zone, Benitez said.*