ILOILO CITY — The Office of Civil Defense-Western Visayas said victims of the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano will likely spend Christmas and New Year in evacuation centers.
OCD-6 Regional Director Raul Fernandez briefs the Iloilo media on the impact of the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano on Negros Island. (Tara Yap)
OCD-6 Regional Director Raul Fernandez disclosed this as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has been monitoring the volcano’s activity for more than 20 days.
Fernandez, chairman of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council-6, said the monitoring of Phivolcs is crucial to determine if the risk level remains at Alert Level 3 or downgraded to Alert Level 2.
A 100 percent mandatory evacuation has been implemented within the six-kilometer Extended Danger Zone of the volcano in Negros Occidental province as Alert Level 3 has been imposed in the cities of Bago, San Carlos, and La Carlota as well as the town of La Castellana.
The Task Force Kanlaon said around 10,784 families from Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental province were affected.
Fernandez said they face challenges with the prolonged stay of evacuees.
He said evacuees are getting tired of canned goods and are looking for real hot meals.