1 month ago
21
BACOLOD CITY — Local government units in Negros Occidental are standing firm in their decision allowing the evacuees to return home near the 6-kilometer extended danger zone of Kanlaon volcano, even as the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) asked the concerned LGUs to reconsider their decision.
Earlier, OCD Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno urgently urged mayors of La Castellana and Bago City in Negros Occidental to reassess their decision of allowing evacuees to go home in light of the heightened volcanic activity at Kanlaon.
Bago City Mayor Nicholas Yulo said he is not inclined to bring back those internally displaced persons (IDPs) to evacuation centers, since they are living outside of the extended danger zone.
"That's the policy we are following," Yulo added.
During a meeting last week of the Bago City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) issued a statement stating that the evacuees beyond the 6-km extended danger zone maybe allowed to go home.
Get the latest news
delivered to your inbox
Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters
By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
"Are they saying that they change their policy, in so far as evacuation is concerned?" Yulo asked, pointing out that the policy given to them was for no human activity within the 6-km danger zone.
Data from the Bago City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office showed there are 461 evacuees from outside the danger zone who went home last week.
Yulo admitted that they were confused as to the policy and protocol.
The mayor said the agencies should clarify the policy, in relations to evacuation protocol, Yulo said.
Nepomuceno has sounded alarm over the decision of local officials, as he urged them to reassess their decision.
The appeal came as the Philvolcs warned of the possibility of raising the alert status of Kanlaon Volcano to Level 4.
Should that occur, the permanent danger zone may be extended from 6 kilometers to 10 kilometers, Nepomuceno said.
In La Castellana, 622 families with 1,969 members returned to their homes outside of the 6-kilometer Kanlaon danger zone, according to Mayor Alme Rhummyla Nicor Mangilimutan.
All of those who went home were from outside the 6-kilometer danger zone, Mangilimutan said.
Lawyer Rayfrando Diaz, provincial administrator, said the provincial government supported the decision of the concerned mayors, which was agreed during a meeting with Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.
Those residents living outside of the extended danger zone volunteered to seek shelter at the evacuation centers due to the direct effects of ash fall, Diaz said.
"But we cannot compel them where they would like to go, especially if they have the options where to go," he added.
"But for those within the extended danger zone as declared by Phivolcs, we are compelled to evacuate and relocate them to evacuation centers, by reason of their safety," Diaz said.
"We always adhere to the advice of OCD and Phivolcs," the mayor said.
As of this writing, Diaz said there are still 4,437 evacuees staying at La Castellana evacuation centers, 1,112 IDPs in La Carlota and 50 others in Bago City, all in Negros Occidental.
