Kanlaon evacuees staying in Negros schools sent home, relocated
BACOLOD CITY—More than 1,300 residents of La Carlota City and La Castellana town in Negros Occidental who were living in school buildings turned into evacuation centers began returning to their villages on Friday, about six months since they were displaced by Mt. Kanlaon’s unrest.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has issued a memorandum, directing 11 schools used as evacuation centers in La Carlota and La Castellana in Negros Occidental and Canlaon City in Negros Occidental to be vacated in preparation for the resumption of in-person classes for school year 2025-2026 on June 16.
Four schools in La Castellana and two in La Carlota were used to shelter displaced residents when the volcano erupted on Dec. 9 last year. Five other schools also housed evacuated residents of Canlaon City in Negros Oriental.
Schools’ cleanup
Those from outside the 6-kilometer expanded danger zone (EDZ) were allowed to go home while those from within the EDZ would be relocated to nonschool evacuation sites.
The Regional Task Force Kanlaon, through the local governments and the Regional Incident Management Team, were instructed to facilitate the safe relocation of displaced families and ensure the immediate restoration of school facilities to operational condition.
Assistant Secretary Cesar Idio, Office of Civil Defense deputy administrator for operations, said in the June 8 memorandum that relocation sites must be situated outside the EDZ.
He also directed the cleanup, sanitation and rehabilitation of school facilities in time for the resumption of classes.
La Carlota City said 897 persons representing 254 families returned home on Friday. They are from areas in three villages located outside of the EDZ.
These villagers were housed at the City Evacuation Center, La Carlota South Elementary School II (South II), La Carlota North Elementary School (LCNES), and the La Carlota City College-Cubay Campus.
La Carlota City Mayor Rex Jalandoon said the decision to begin the decampment process was recommended by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council during its meeting on June 10.
However, 64 families (232 people) from Sitio Guintubdan in Barangay Ara-al would not yet be returning home and were transferred from South II and LCNES to the City Evacuation Center and City Gymnasium 1 for their continued safety, the city government said.
New shelters
Local authorities were monitoring the situation and providing assistance to those still displaced, while supporting the reintegration of returning families into their communities.
In La Castellana, 50 families (466 people) who have been living at St. Vincent’s High School, a private school, were relocated on Friday to the covered court in Barangay Mansalanao, said Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head John de Asis.
They are residents from within the 6-km EDZ in Barangay Mansalanao.
De Asis said the town has been taking care of 1,329 displaced families (4,210 individuals) for about six months but they could not be allowed to return home yet since they are from villages within the EDZ.
