BACOLOD CITY – The municipal government of La Castellana in Negros Occidental has proposed the permanent relocation of residents living within the four-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) of Kanlaon Volcano in the town.

BARANGAY Biak na Bato in La Castellana, Negros Occidental is one of the three villages in the town situated within the four-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone of Kanlaon Volcano affected by lahar or mud flow after the June 3 eruption. (Contributed photo)

Mayor Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan said their proposal was based on the recommendation of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) due to the threat of Kanlaon.

However, Mangilimutan said that they cannot afford relocation for affected residents.

“Maybe, we will be asking support from the national government for the permanent relocation of the evacuees,” she said.

John de Asis, head of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (LDRRM) in La Castellana, said that about 30 houses in three barangays will be affected by the proposal – Biak na Bato, Masulog, and Cabagna-an.

Forced evacuation was implemented by the local government in Barangay Biak na Bato due to lahar or mud flow after the eruption of Kanlaon on June 3.

Mangilimutan said they will need to establish boundaries in the four-kilometer PDZ to prohibit human habitation.

She said that currently, the situation in her town seems stable, but residents within the four-kilometer PDZ remain at evacuation centers while Kanlaon is still under Alert Level 2.

Mangilimutan said the LDRRM is roaming around the town to assess the situation based on the advisories of the OCD and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

The mayor said that internally displaced individuals (IDPs) have enough food and thanked those who helped them.