Eggplants covered in Kanlaon Volcano’s ash.*Romeo Subaldo photo
The damage to crops, aquaculture and livestock in Negros Occidental brought on by the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano has increased to P32.8 million, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) reported on Sunday, Dec. 22.
There were also 20,531 evacuees in three cities and one town in Negros Island, with 14,188 still staying in evacuation camps and 6,323 in homes of relatives and friends as of Saturday, five days before Christmas.
Ash from Kanlaon’s eruption damaged P2,576,406 in rice, P29,268,182 in high value commercial crops and P503,352 in corn in Bago City, La Carlota City and La Castellana, the PDRRMC reported.
This has affected 768 farmers tilling crops on 298 hectares in 22 barangays, the report said.
Aquaculture damage was placed at P214, 005 involving tilapia in fishponds in Bago City, La Carlota City and La Castellana.
Damage to livestock was P268,429 in Murcia, La Carlota City, Bago City and La Castellana.
There were 807 carabaos, cattle, goats, poultry, swine, rabbit’s dogs and cats also evacuated out of the 6-kilometer danger zones in La Castellana and La Carlota City, the PDRRMC also reported.
Some grasslands where animals graze have also been covered with volcanic ash.
The volcanic eruption has affected 7,145 families with 21,866 members from Bago City, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, La Carlota City, Murcia, San Carlos City and Pontevedra in Negros Occidental, the Department of Social Welfare and Development reported on Sunday.
Of those affected 2,673 families with 8,412 persons remain in 22 evacuation centers in two cities and one town, it said.
There are also 1,542 families with 4,939 members who have sought temporary shelter in the homes of friends and relatives.
The DSWD said the cost of food and non-food items given to the evacuees was P122,812, 824 as of Dec. 19.
The PDRRMC said those in evacuation centers in La Castellana are 6,398, Bago City – 478 and La Carlota City – 1,577 in Negros Occidental.
There are also 2,212 families with 7,183 individuals who have evacuated in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental.
There are 5,776 residents in nine evacuation camps and 1,404 outside camps for a total of 7,183, the Canlaon City government reported Saturday.*