BACOLOD CITY – A total of 368 families composed of 1,491 persons in 14 barangays in Negros Occidental were forced to evacuate after Kanlaon Volcano erupted on Monday night, June 3.
RESIDENTS in Barangay Masulog, La Castellana, Negros Occidental stay in an evacuation center after Kanlaon Volcano erupted on Monday, June 3. (Photo courtesy of Remuel Lajo)
Affected were 42 families or 182 individuals in three barangays in Bago City, 14 families or 76 individuals in one barangay in La Carlota City, 203 families or 842 individuals in eight barangays in La Castellana, five families or 20 individuals in one barangay in Moises Padilla, and 104 families or 371 individuals in one barangay in Pontevedra.
Data released by the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC)-Western Visayas as of 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 4, said 338 families or 1,349 persons inside nine evacuation centers were served and 30 families or 142 persons were served outside evacuation centers.
The RDRRMC also reported that small falling rocks and the smell of sulfur were noticed by residents in several barangays in this city, Pontevedra, Murcia, Valladolid, Binalbagan, La Castellana, and San Enrique, and Bago City.
Ashfall was reported in La Castellana, Valladolid, and Pontevedra, and the cities of La Carlota, San Carlos, and Bago.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said that the priority of the provincial government is the people’s safety and well-being.
Lacson said that the Provincial DRRMC Emergency Operations Center is under blue alert.
The response clusters, including Camp Coordination and Camp Management, Food and Non-Food, Logistics, Search, Rescue and Retrieval, Health, and Law and Order, have been activated to handle the emergency situation, he added.
The governor advised people in areas that might need evacuation to follow evacuation orders.
He also advised those affected to coordinate with their barangays and local government units (LGUs) and stay informed through official channels.
With proper coordination and information, we will be able to manage this situation, said Lacson, who enjoined everyone to pray for safety.