BACOLOD CITY – Two local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental evacuated a total of 59 families following the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano Thursday, Feb. 19.

Thirty-four families or 115 individuals were from La Carlota City and 25 families were from Bago City.

Evacuees in La Carlota City were from Sitio Guintubdan, Barangay Ara-al. Those in Bago City were from Barangay Ilijan.

The City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) of La Carlota City is managing the welfare of evacuees staying at the La Carlota South Elementary School-1.

The La Carlota City Emergency Operation Center is on red alert after the eruption.

While there is no more residents living within the four-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ), Irene Bel Ploteña, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said affected residents were those hit by ash fall due to the proximity of their houses to the volcano in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental.

She said local government decides if preemptive evacuation if necessary.

Ploteña said that nine LGUs in the province have been affected by ash fall. No major damage was reported. Flushing operations have been conducted to clear roads of ash.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Negros Island Region (DSWD-NIR) has prepositioned assistance – 223,608 family food packs, 10,549 boxes of ready-to-eat food, 16,264 non-food items, and 1,225 other non-food items.