President Marcos assured families displaced by Mount Kanlaon's ongoing unrest that his administration would continue supporting them despite uncertainties about when the crisis would end.

Marcos said this as he led the distribution of government assistance to the victims of the Mount Kanlaon eruption housed at the La Carlota City South Elementary School II Evacuation Center in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental on Friday, Feb. 21.

In his speech, the President told the evacuees that the government would continue sending relief goods to them no matter how long the crisis took.

"Kahit gaano katagal ito, ang pamahalaan ninyo ay nandito. Tuloy-tuloy itong suporta na ibinibigay namin sa inyo. Hindi matatapos ito (Your government is here for you no matter how long this takes. Our support for you will not stop)," he said.

"Hangga't kayo ay nangangailangan ng tulong, hangga't kayo ay nangangailangan ng suporta ay ibibigay ng pamahalaan (As long as you are here, as long as you need support, your government will provide)," he added.

Marcos assured the evacuees that the government would continue monitoring the situation to ensure their safety.

"Tuloy-tuloy po ang pag-monitor ng ating mga siyantipiko para malaman namin ang tunay na sitwasyon para matiyak na kayo ay hindi malagay sa alanganin, hindi kayo malagay sa peligro (Our scientists are continuously monitoring the situation so we can ensure that you will not be put in danger)," he said.

During the event, President Marcos handed over financial assistance worth P5,000 and family food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to 323 families or 1,111 individuals residing in four evacuation centers in La Carlota City.

Since the explosive eruption of Mount Kanlaon on 9 December 2024, which sent a voluminous plume about 4,000 meters above the vent, residents from Barangays Ara-Al, Yubo, and Haguimit—situated within the six-kilometer Extended Danger Zone—have been forcibly evacuated and are seeking refuge in four evacuation centers and with nearby relatives in La Carlota City.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has raised the alert level of these towns to Alert Level 3 due to intensified magmatic unrest and has urged residents to remain in evacuation centers.

Data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) dated Feb. 20 stated that a total of 12,630 families or 48,528 persons have been displaced, with 57 towns in Western Visayas and Central Visayas placed under a state of calamity.

The crisis has resulted in over P129 million in damages to agriculture in Western Visayas.

This is the second time Mount Kanlaon has erupted in 2024, with the first occurrence on June 3.