BACOLOD CITY – The Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Western Visayas is working closely with the municipal government of La Castellana in Negros Occidental to resolve concerns about evacuation sites for residents to be affected by a major eruption of Kanlaon Volcano.

FERNANDEZ (Glazyl Masculino)

OCD-Western Visayas Regional Director Raul Fernandez revealed that they are trying to convince La Castellana Mayor Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan to consider using the existing Himamaylan tent city as a temporary shelter for evacuees should the situation worsen.

“We’ll keep on persuading her,” Fernandez said in Wednesday’s media interview on the sidelines of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology infopress on the hazards of Kanlaon Volcano and its potential impacts at the Provincial Capitol here.

Up to eight barangays in La Castellana are at risk and while the municipality is working on a long-term plan for a permanent evacuation center, immediate action is needed, according to Fernandez.

Fernandez said that La Castellana has not signed a memorandum of agreement with unaffected local government units (LGUs) regarding the evacuation and disaster response plan.

Despite this, the OCD has been in constant communication with the municipality, helping them prepare and finalize their contingency plan.

Fernandez said that while the contingency plan’s deadline was set for this week, further reviews are necessary to ensure evacuation sites are safe.

“Our goal is to avoid double handling of evacuees, which could make things harder for the displaced individuals,” Fernandez said, stressing the need to efficiently relocate people to safe zones.

La Castellana’s evacuation plans were discussed during a recent contingency planning workshop with Barangays Nato and Talaptap identified as potential evacuation sites. However, these areas currently lack the necessary infrastructure to accommodate displaced residents.

The OCD has proposed using Himamaylan and Kabankalan cities as evacuation sites for La Castellana residents.

Himamaylan has been identified as a primary location for a tent city if the volcano’s alert level is raised to four. The tent city in Sitio Binging, Barangay 3 is almost completion, with 395 family tents.

There is a shortage of evacuation centers, particularly in a worst-case scenario where up to 100,000 people or 48,000 families may need to be evacuated, Fernandez said.

The OCD is working with surrounding LGUs Himamaylan, Kabankalan, Talisay, Silay, Cadiz, and San Carlos City to secure additional sites.

Fernandez acknowledged the cooperation from provincial authorities, non-government organizations (NGOs), and the business sector, which has been vital in preparing for any escalation.

Fernandez encouraged evacuees still under evacuation orders following the Dec. 9, 2024 eruption. “Hold on. Together, we can overcome this,” he said.

Dr. Teresito Bacolcol, Phivolcs chief, cautioned residents in affected areas to remain vigilant as the volcano continues to show signs of inflation.

The volcano remains at Alert Level 3, with ongoing inflation on its eastern side, making it difficult to lower the alert level to two.

The six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) surrounding the volcano remains unoccupied, but Bacolcol stressed the importance of LGUs implementing evacuation plans should the situation escalate.

He emphasized the need for LGUs to stay informed and act on the guidance provided by local officials and Phivolcs.