The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) is implementing measures to address the complaints of evacuees displaced by Kanlaon Volcano’s unrest, OCD Negros Island Region Director Donato Sermeno III said on Wednesday, July 2.
Thirty-three families with 89 members escaped from their evacuation camp at the La Castellana Senior High School to return to their homes within Kanlaon Volcano’s 6-kilometer expanded danger zone in Barangay Cabagnaan, La Castellana in Negros Occidental on Monday.
But eight families with 24 individuals returned to their evacuation camps on Wednesday and more were expected to do the same later in the day, John de Asis, La Castellana Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head, said.
Some decided to return to their evacuation camp on discovering that their homes within the danger zone had been damaged by the volcano’s eruptions.
The restive internally displaced residents from within the danger zone have been living in evacuation centers since December.
Sermeno said security at the borders will be strengthened to prevent other evacuees from returning to their homes within the danger zone.
The OCD at the same time will implement measures to address the complaints of the evacuees.
They are requesting the OCD national office for pre-fabricated emergency shelters for the evacuees, he said.
They are also acting on the request of the evacuees for vehicles to transport their dislocated children to schools and for Wi-Fi connectivity at their camps, he said.*