GOV’T EVACUATING 87,000 RESIDENTS AFTER KANLAON VOLCANO ERUPTION

THE Office of Civil Defense (OCD) announced that an urgent evacuation operation is underway for around 87,000 residents following the explosive eruption of Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island.

Defense Secretary and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) chairperson Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has activated the Inter-agency Coordinating Cell (IACC) to coordinate response efforts, emphasizing the necessity for in-person duty from member agencies at the NDRRM Operations Center starting December 10.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanogy and Seismology (Phivolcs) has recommended the forced evacuation of residents living  within the 6-kilometer radius of Kanlaon.

Authorities said more than half of the individuals affected live in La Castellana, Negros Occidental wherein an estimated 46,900 individuals are within the 6-kilometer danger zone.

The OCD said they are focusing on Bgy. Sag-ang due to prevailing westward wind directions, which pose additional risks from ashfall.

Also needed to be evacuated are residents of barangays Cabagnaan, Himamaylan, Hinigaran, Isabela, Pontevedra, and Moises Padilla.

According to the OCD, a staging area has been established in front of the La Castellana Municipal Hall, and schools with suspended classes will be used as evacuation centers.

In preparation for the worst-case scenario, Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City has been designated as the primary evacuation center, with the capacity to accommodate up to 30,000 evacuees.

The OCD is mobilizing resources, including the deployment of 2,100 face masks and 1,000 family hygiene kits to Bacolod City, alongside requests for a water filtration truck from the OCD Rapid Deployment Team.

It is also actively coordinating the provision of essential supplies, including food packs, and mobile kitchens to support evacuees.

Ashfall from the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island has reached the provinces of Iloilo and Guimaras. 

The Department of Health (DOH) advised affected residents to wear face masks and clothes with long sleeves to protect themselves from these hazards.