More than 4,000 evacuees from areas outside the 6-kilometer danger zone in La Castellana and Bago City in Negros Occidental are expected to decamp and return home on Wednesday, Dec. 8.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said that was agreed on after Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson met with mayors Nicholas Yulo of Bago City, Rex Jalandoon of La Carlota City and Rhummyla Nicor Mangilimutan at the Capitol in Bacolod City on Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 7.
It was agreed that only those from outside the 6- kilometer expanded danger zone will be allowed to decamp, he said.
The mandatory evacuation is only for those from within the 6-kilometer radius around the volcano, Diaz said.
There were 8,732 evacuees in La Castellana, Bago City and La Carlota City who were evacuated after the Dec. 9 eruption of Kanlaon Volcano.
Diaz said with the decamping on Wednesday, about 3,900 evacuees from within the 6-kilometer expanded danger zone and from remote areas where immediate evacuation would be difficult would remain at the evacuation centers.
Mangilimutan said they are looking at allowing 4,000 of 6,734 evacuees in La Castellana to go home.
However, a final review by the La Castellana Incident Management team of those who can safely be allowed to return home was being conducted, she said.
If Kanlaon Volcano erupts again future La Castellana evacuees may be brought to a tent city in Himamaylan, she said.
The La Castellana local government already has an about 4-hectare property in Barangay Manghanoy available for the permanent relocation of 36 families from Kanlaon’s 4-kilometer permanent danger zone who will no longer be allowed to return to that area, Diaz said.
Mangilimutan will also invite residents beyond the 4-kilometer danger zone who live in remote areas where immediate evacuation is difficult to move to the permanent relocation site, he added.
The provincial government will provide building materials for the houses of those who will be relocated in La Castellana, Diaz said.
La Carlota and Bago will also have permanent relocation areas, which they are financially capable of supporting. Diaz said.
BAGO CITY
Dr. Merijene Ortizo, Bago City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer, said Bago has 501 evacuees, and the majority are expected to return home on Wednesday.
Those who will be allowed to go home are from outside the 6-kilometer danger zone, they were evacuated because of heavy ash fall, she said.
The city government will provide the returning residents with assistance to repair the roofs of their houses that were damaged by Kanlaon’s eruption, she said.
Only about 49 residents from the permanent danger zone will have to remain in the Bago regional evacuation center, but the exact number is still being determined, she said.
They eventually will be transferred to a permanent relocation site, Ortizo said.
LA CARLOTA CITY
Jalandoon said the about 1,300 in La Carlota City will not be allowed to go home for their own safety.
It would be difficult to evacuate the evacuees from remote sitios in barangays Yubo and Araal if Kanlaon Volcano erupts again, Jalandoon said.
The areas where the evacuees in La Carlota come from have also been damaged by ash fall, Diaz said.
He said Jalandoon is looking to permanently relocate the affected evacuees.
Meanwhile, the La Carlota City government is also preparing for a possible Alert Level 4 status at Kanlaon, Jalandoon said.
The governor said permanent relocation outside the 4-kilometer permanent danger zone is necessary because it is very difficult to keep moving residents to evacuation centers every time Kanlaon erupts.
COMMUNITY KITCHEN
The provincial government will maintain its community kitchens for the evacuees with the local government units providing the food, Diaz said.
However, after the provincial government procures supplies using the P50 million funds from the Office of the President it will resume the delivery of raw materials for the food of the evacuees, Diaz said.
It is stipulated that the fund can only be used for needs at evacuation centers, it cannot be utilized for rebuilding houses, he said.*