La Castellana in Negros Occidental is set to present its contingency plan on Friday, Jan. 22, for the evacuation of 40,000 residents if Alert Level 4 is raised at Kanlaon Volcano.
The contingency plan for Alert Level 4 will be presented so La Castellana’s preparedness can be assessed, and the gaps where assistance is needed can be filled, Fernandez said on Wednesday.
He noted that La Castellana only has four available trucks that will not be enough to evacuate 40,000 residents. “We will see where additional vehicles can be tapped to help La Castellana”, he said.
La Castellana also needs to sign a memorandum of agreement with local government units where its residents will be evacuated, Fernandez said.
A detailed evacuation and contingency plan is necessary, he stressed.
Fernandez said they are considering unoccupied housing projects of government as relocation sites for persons who will be displaced by Kanlaon.
A meeting will be held to identify such areas, he said.
Canlaon City wants to use container vans as temporary shelters for evacuees at its relocation sites, Fernandez also said.
About P50 million will be needed so we are asking for their position paper to be sent to OCD central office, he said.
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he was happy that the OCD has allowed residents of La Castellana to harvest their sugarcane in the Kanlaon danger zone.
“I’m very happy they saw the light…That is why some mayors allowed their evacuees from outside the danger zone to return home so they could attend to their means of livelihood,” he said.
Lacson is expecting the paperwork for the P50 million from the Office of the President to be completed by next week so the funds can be used to aid the evacuees in Negros Occidental.
Lacson lauded Bago City for its purchasing bahay kubos (huts made of bamboo and nipa) to serve as temporary shelters for its evacuees.
“It’s a positive move,” he said.
The provincial government is willing to help with the community kitchen needed at the Bago relocation site, Lacson also said.*