By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD CITY – Task Force Kanlaon Commander Raul Fernandez, who also serves as the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6 director, said preemptive evacuation of 110,000 individuals should begin, as the Kanlaon volcano is expected to erupt.
“If we have our way, we should start the preemptive evacuation,” Fernandez told the Daily Guardian on Thursday.
He cited data from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), which confirmed the certainty of the Kanlaon volcano’s eruption.
Fernandez said the preemptive evacuation will cover a 10-kilometer radius around the volcano. He urged residents who have returned to their homes outside the six-kilometer permanent danger zone to go back to evacuation centers.
The evacuation process for 110,000 individuals may take four to five days, Fernandez said.
He added that contingency plans are being developed, including an inventory of vehicles needed for evacuation.
During the December 9, 2024 eruption, the La Castellana local government faced a shortage of vehicles, Fernandez noted.
He acknowledged the concerns of local government units (LGUs) in sustaining food supplies for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The OCD is working to address these concerns, including ensuring that food provided to evacuees is nutritious, Fernandez said.
Fernandez also highlighted that the Tent City being established in Himamaylan City for IDPs is insufficient.
He said the OCD is coordinating with LGUs in Talisay and Silay cities, the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City, and Vallehermoso and Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental to accommodate displaced individuals if necessary.
Earlier, OCD Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno appealed to evacuees, including those sent home last week, to remain in evacuation centers.
The appeal comes as Phivolcs warned of the possibility of an imminent and explosive eruption of the Kanlaon volcano.
If Alert Level 4 is declared, Nepomuceno said the danger zone would expand from six to 10 kilometers. This extended zone would include evacuees who had recently returned home.
While empathizing with evacuees who have stayed in evacuation centers for over a month and acknowledging the strain on LGUs, Nepomuceno expressed concerns about how quickly another evacuation could be implemented if needed.
Nepomuceno met with Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, Mayor Rhummyla Nicor Mangilimutan, and local disaster officials at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City on Wednesday.
He said the OCD is coordinating evacuation plans with LGUs to ensure readiness.
The OCD identified 35 barangays in La Castellana, Moises Padilla, Pontevedra, and the cities of Bago and La Carlota in Negros Occidental, as well as Canlaon City in Negros Oriental, that could be affected by pyroclastic flow hazards in the event of another eruption.
Pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) are fast-moving flows of volcanic particles, hot gases, and ash that rush down the volcanic slopes.
