The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Thursday said it is planning to further expand the extended permanent danger zone (PDZ) around Mount Kanlaon from six kilometers to 10 kilometers.
This development comes as rainfall from the low pressure area (LPA), downgraded from tropical depression ‘Querubin,’ off Mindanao continue to pose risk of lahar flow across the Negros Island Region.
“We’re also planning to move the evacuation centers that are still within that range, from six to 10 kilometers, to at least outside of the 14 km radius,” said OCD Western Visayas Director and Task Force Kanlaon chairperson Raul Fernandez in an interview.
Currently, there are 29 evacuation centers in Negros Island, along with 10 family tents set up in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental.
Fernandez noted that, based on the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s report, they achieved a 99.17 percent evacuation rate of residents in the PDZ, totaling 5,772 families or 18,475 persons.
He assured the public there are sufficient food and non-food items for the evacuees, sourced not only from the government but also from generous donors.
However, as residents may need to remain in evacuation centers until after the New Year, the OCD official appealed for more diverse food choices as well as recreational and educational materials for children.
“Based on the assessment of Phivolcs, there’s still a huge possibility of an explosive eruption anytime. This is based on the volcanic activity that is ongoing, including volcanic earthquakes,” Fernandez stated.
Meanwhile, he mentioned that passes are being issued to evacuees who need to temporarily check on their homes and properties.
“While we need to ensure the safety of residents, we can’t discount the fact that most of their livelihood is left behind. That’s why the LGUs (local government units) issued camp passes for designated family members who will return to feed animals or take care of farm chores,” Fernandez explained.
“We’re giving them a window period to conduct this activity between 6 AM to 4 PM,” he added.
