The joint Regional Task Force-National Task Force (RTF-NTF) Kanlaon has come up with consolidated recovery and development plans for local government units (LGUs) in Negros Island affected by the series of eruptions of Kanlaon Volcano in the past year.
In a report on Thursday, the Office of Civil Defense-Negros Island Region (OCD-NIR) said each sector evaluated the programs, activities, and projects (PAPs) of every LGU for prioritization.
The facilitators of each sector presented their draft PAPs for comments, clarifications, and approval of the body during the workshop and consultative meeting held at Seda Hotel in Bacolod City Sept. 15 and 16.
“These are deemed important for the resilient and inclusive rehabilitation and sustainable development of communities surrounding Mt. Kanlaon,” the OCD-NIR said.
Civil Defense Deputy Administrator for Operations Assistant Secretary Cesar Idio presented the consolidated priority PAPs intended for the affected LGUs, including the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, as well as the cities of Bago, Canlaon, and La Carlota City, and the municipalities of La Castellana, Moises Padilla, and Murcia.
The final PAP outputs will be submitted on Sept. 25.
Since Kanlaon Volcano’s alert status was downgraded from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2 last July 29, most of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Bago, La Carlota and La Castellana in Negros Occidental and Canlaon in Negros Oriental evacuated after the explosive eruption on Dec. 9, 2024, have returned home.
The remaining IDPs in the evacuation centers are those whose homes are within the four-kilometer permanent
danger zone.
La Carlota, whose water supply severely decreased following the two explosive eruptions, has proposed the restoration of the water supply in the affected communities, while Moises Padilla sought the construction of a bridge along the overflow between two villages.
After the two-day activity, the OCD officials and personnel, along with members of the RTF-NTF for Kanlaon Recovery and Development, signed a pledge of commitment to ensure the long-term rehabilitation, recovery, and resilience-building efforts in communities surrounding Kanlaon Volcano.
Part of the pledge states that “by 2035, Kanlaon Volcano’s recovery will deliver safe, inclusive, and disaster-resilient communities through climate-adaptive infrastructure, permanent housing, strengthened health and education systems, and responsive social protection.”*PNA
[sibwp_form id=1]