The Tent City in Barangay 3, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, is being dismantled following the lowering of Kanlaon Volcano’s alert level from three to two, indicating a “moderate level of volcanic unrest”.
This was announced by Raul Fernandez, Regional Task Force Kanlaon chairperson and Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6 director, on Tuesday, August 5.
The Tent City was set up after Kanlaon’s eruption on Dec. 9, 2024, to house an expected surge of evacuees if the volcanic unrest reached Alert Level 4, he said.
It was never occupied.
More than 300 tents were donated by the OCD to the Himamaylan City government, and those that were erected are being temporarily taken down and stored for safekeeping, Fernandez said.
Himamaylan City will retain ownership of the tents that can be used for future disaster response, he said
The National Task Force Kanlaon is now focusing on building permanent relocation sites, a promise made by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Fernandez said.
These sites are intended for 81 families not allowed to return to their homes within the 4-kilometer permanent danger zone surrounding the volcano.
He said 45 families are from Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, and 36 from La Castellana, Negros Occidental.
In addition to the relocation sites, the government plans to build permanent evacuation centers for residents who may be displaced by future volcanic unrest.
Fernandez said that the financial assistance promised to towns and cities affected by the Kanlaon’s unrest are being processed.
The local governments are in direct communication with the Department of Budget and Management regarding the funds, he said.*