BACOLOD CITY – The municipal government of Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental announced the full resumption on Monday, Feb. 24,  of face-to-face classes in elementary and high school suspended due to Kanlaon Volcano.

Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo issued Executive Order No. 204 on Feb. 20 lifting limited face-to-face classes and allowing the conduct of full-scale face-to-face classes on both levels.

Yulo lifted the suspension with the prevailing condition and the level of schools’ preparedness. In effect, the schools may adopt full face-face classes if they find them appropriate.

However, she noted that limited face-to-face classes and or modular learning mode in the kindergarten and special needs education will remain in effect.

The town had cancelled classes on all levels and gradually adopted limited face-to-face classes and modular learning mode due to Kanlaon.

The executive order noted that as preparedness measure, regular simulation drills were conducted in schools in order to enable teachers, pupils, and parents to become familiar with necessary response and avoid any possible incident in case of an eruption.

Yulo directed all schools to continue the conduct of regular simulation exercise for volcanic eruption.

Some parts of the municipality were affected by the Dec. 9, 2024 eruption. The town formed a partnership and designated Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental as an evacuation site in the event of an eruption.

The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) said Moises Padilla located 28.2 kilometers from the volcano is among the areas likely to be affected by pyroclastic flows during a major eruption.

Yulo said that approximately 40,000 residents or the entire population of Moises Padilla may be forced to evacuate in a worst-case scenario based on the OCD assessment.

Kanlaon remains at Alert Level 3 in which a six-kilometer prohibited danger is imposed.