BACOLOD CITY – Sixty-one families or 225 individuals affected by the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental returned home on Thursday, Aug. 14, after eight months in an evacuation center.
The La Carlota City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office transported evacuees back to Sitio Guintubdan, Barangay Ara-al, which is in the six-kilometer danger zone.
SIXTY-ONE families affected by Kanlaon Volcano in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, return home after eight months in an evacuation center. (La Carlota City Police Station)
They returned after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology downgraded the volcano's alert status from Level 3 to Level 2 or moderate unrest.
Prior to their decampment, the CDRRM Council led by Mayor Jose Luis "Joelu" Jalandoni finalized plans to ensure their safety and smooth transition with several safeguards implemented.
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) received aid packages, including food boxes, galvanized steel sheets for shelter reinforcement, and cash assistance.
In a move towards sustainable long-term resilience, the council advanced plans for a permanent relocation center.
The local government reminded people to remain on alert as Phivolcs said Kanlaon, under Alert Level 2, still has a chance of having sudden phreatic (steam-driven) eruptions.
The four-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) must remain evacuated, the local government added.