BACOLOD CITY – The Office of Civil Defense-Negros Island Region is inspecting the proposed sites for permanent evacuation centers and resettlement areas for residents displaced by Kanlaon Volcano in four local government units in Negros Occidental.
OCD inspecting proposed resettlement sites for Kanlaon victims
Published May 19, 2025 04:49 pm
OCD-NIR Regional Director Donato Sermeno III said that they are in the midst of finalizing site selection in La Castellana, La Carlota City, Bago City, and San Carlos City.
Sermeno said San Carlos City did not initially express the need for relocation but after a recent meeting with the Technical Working Group and representatives of concerned LGUs, the city acknowledged its necessity.
As part of the proposal, they suggested the establishment of a permanent evacuation center for residents of Barangay Codcod.
Although Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are far from the six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ), the city preferred permanent resettlement over temporary relocation.
Sermeno said the city proposed a 300-hectare site in Barangay Prosperidad for permanent evacuation and resettlement facilities.
However, who will fund and construct the necessary facilities remains unanswered with plans to refer these matters to the National Task Force Kanlaon for further assistance.
In La Carlota City, three sites were initially considered for relocation sites – Barangays Haguimit, San Miguel, and La Granja.
However, further evaluation showed that these areas would be impacted by pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) from an explosive eruption, prompting the need to search for more suitable sites.
La Castellana has two sites – Barangays Talaptap and Lalagsan – that initially passed the assessment.
However, the owner of the land in Barangay Lalagsan is no longer willing to sell, giving the local government a choice to persuade the owner.
In Barangay Talaptap, the site is acceptable but access is through a hacienda, meaning improvements in road infrastructure may be necessary in the future, Sermeno said.
The finalization of a suitable site is critical, and concerns related to this process will be referred to the National Task Force Kanlaon for further resolution, Sermeno said.
In Bago City, the proposed site was identified, but hazard mapping revealed potential tsunami threats, despite being a few kilometers from the coastline.
Mitigation measures are already in place, but should the site fail to meet the required standards, another location will be assessed, Sermeno said.
OCD-NIR has committed to providing monthly updates on Kanlaon response and the development of the relocation sites.
They announced that funding proposals from Kanlaon-affected LGUs will now be submitted directly to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), bypassing the previous process where they applied through OCD.
The OCD is currently assisting each LGU in developing its own evacuation plan which is different from a contingency plan.
These evacuation plans will be specific to each IDPs, covering everything from transportation to the evacuation centers, Sermeno said.
He added that data gathering is ongoing. “It’s taking time, but at least we’re moving forward.”