ILOILO CITY (PIA) —The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and Task Force Kanlaon reiterated their warning to evacuees that returning to their homes is still unsafe, especially those within the six-kilometer extended danger zone due to the volcano’s continued unrest status.
In a press briefing, OCD 6 Director and Task Force Kanlaon chair Raul E. Fernandez made the warning as locals asserted their own perception of the volcano’s behavior.
“We have the scientific basis that the Kanlaon is still in unrest mode. There still is a threat of a magmatic eruption based on scientific data the PHIVOLCS has gathered,” said Fernandez.
He also pointed out that all indicators show imminent threat, and presence within the danger zone will put lives at risk including those of the responders.
Furthermore, he cited the ground deformation and volcanic earthquakes indicating gradual rising of magma and the minimal sulfur dioxide flux due to clogging that will eventually cause a sudden eruption.
“The tendency for us is nagiging complacent tayo until such time na bigla na lang siyang puputok and the more people will be exposed. What we are trying to create here is a manageable situation as much as possible,” he emphasized.
Fernandez also pointed out that they do not want a similar situation to happen during the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991, and Mt. Mayon in 2006 that claimed thousands of lives.
Thus, Fernandez urged affected residents to exercise patience and endurance and gave assurance of the government’s continued efforts to provide necessary assistance and support to them.
“Kaya, pagtulungan po natin ito (Let’s work together),” he said, citing the commitment of support from the President and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on the matter.
Based on the report of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), a total of P54,532,998.92 worth of assistance was provided to affected families in Negros Occidental from the agency, the concerned local government units, non-government organizations and other stakeholders, as of January 8, 2025.
DSWD also has standby funds of P500,000 and prepositioned food and non-food stockpile worth P146,464,907.21.
Fernandez also noted that the Early Recovery Cluster has already been activated prompting its member agencies to include Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), DSWD, and the Department of Education (DepEd) to provide training for displaced individuals as response to the livelihood woes of the affected residents.
He also announced that the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) has committed to provide assistance for affected college students. (AAL/FRG/PIA6)
