La Castellana town in Negros Occidental already has a contingency plan for the upcoming elections if Alert Level 4 is raised at Kanlaon Volcano, Regional Director Lionel Marco Castillano of the Commission on Elections-Negros Island Region said Friday, Feb. 28.
The contingency plan will allow the COMELEC to set up polling centers in areas outside the 10-kilometer danger zone but still within La Castellana if Alert Level 4 is raised, he said.
The contingency plan submitted by the La Castellana Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office was adopted by the Comelec, he said.
Under the plan the Comelec will set up makeshift polling stations within La Castellana in areas outside the 10-kilometer danger zone, Castillano said.
Now that La Castellana has submitted its contingency plan, they will focus on the security plan, he said.
The Regional Joint Security Control Center will meet in March where an updated list of areas of concerns in Negros will be discussed, Castillano said.
La Castellana Mayor Rhummyla Mangilimutan said the Comelec was okay with their contingency plan that will allow voting within the town.
Voters could be transported to polling centers if needed, she also said.*