By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD CITY – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured residents displaced by the Kanlaon Volcano eruption on Dec. 9, 2024, that the national government will continue to assist them for as long as needed.
“We will be here for you as long as you need us,” Marcos told families of internally displaced persons (IDPs) gathered at La Carlota South Elementary School II on Friday.
The president arrived at the venue with Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, and Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez.
Other officials present included La Castellana Mayor Alme Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan, Bago City Mayor Nicolas Yulo, La Carlota City Mayor Rex Jalandoon, and 2nd District Rep. Alfredo Marañon III.
Lacson, in a briefing to the president, reported that 1,700 families affected by the eruption remain housed in evacuation centers in La Carlota City, La Castellana, and Bago City.
“We should also pray that Kanlaon Volcano will simmer, but if the worst comes to worst, we assure you, we will be here for you,” Marcos said.
He added that unlike typhoons, volcanic eruptions are unpredictable.
“We hope this crisis will soon be over so that when I return, we can eat lechon,” he joked.
Marcos also led the distribution of 646 family food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to 323 displaced families, or 1,111 individuals, in La Carlota.
According to the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), as of Feb. 20, four evacuation centers remain open in La Carlota City: the City Evacuation Center, South Elementary School II, North Elementary School, and City College-Cubay Campus.
Before Marcos’ arrival, each displaced family in La Carlota received PHP5,000 from the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program.
The IDPs have been in evacuation centers for more than two months.
Many of their homes, especially the roofs, were destroyed by ashfall from Kanlaon Volcano.
The city government has advised them not to return due to the continued threat of another eruption.
Some evacuees told Daily Guardian they plan to use the financial aid to repair their homes.
Nelrose Garcia, 29, of Barangay Guintubdan, La Carlota City, said she and her husband, along with their two children, evacuated on Dec. 9, 2024.
They sought refuge at La Carlota South Elementary School with other families from their barangay.
Garcia said they have not been able to return home because the roof was heavily damaged by ashfall.
Her husband works in construction, while she tends to the house and grows vegetables in their backyard.
Her story is similar to that of many IDPs who remain displaced after the eruption.
