THE Office of Civil Defense (OCD) pushed for effective 24-hour communications with concerned local leaders amid the continuing unrest of Mount Kanlaon, presently at Alert Level 3.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continues to exert efforts to boost the morale of the villagers temporarily staying at the evacuation centers.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian reiterated the instruction of President Marcos to provide quality and sustained disaster response to the internally families.
OCD administrator Ariel Nepomuceno met with local government officials, including Canlaon City Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas and Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, last week to discuss the safety measures and the heightened risks associated with the volcano’s restiveness.
“The OCD has been in touch with our local leaders since last December’s eruption and we are monitoring the situation daily. We always make sure that proper communication is being implemented from the situation of evacuees to the affected areas. The threat is still there in many areas that’s why we encourage everyone to be proactive and maintain a high level of focus on their safety and well-being,” Nepomuceno said.
“We must absolutely ensure the safety of everyone by providing the people’s needs. We also assessed the situation of the evacuees,” he added.
There are nine affected areas in Negros Occidental especially near the permanent danger zone with pyroclastic density concurrent in La Castellana, while continuous ash falls have affected the towns of La Carlota, Bago, Murcia, San Enrique, Hinigaran, Valladolid, Puludpandan and Moises Padilla.
During his visit, Nepomuceno acknowledged the emotional and practical challenges faced by the displaced families. He reaffirmed the national government’s commitment to providing necessary support and resources.
The OCD, according to him, had turned over substantial supplies of hygiene kits, tarpaulins, and house repair kits to the evacuees of Canlaon City, along with the municipality of La Castellana, and La Carlota City.
OCD, the implementing arm of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, also expressed gratitude to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH) and the local government units (LGUs) for their all-out support to the people of Negros during the state of calamity.
The OCD is also set to send water filtration machines and frozen meat as requested by the evacuees.
“We continue to conduct psycho-social activities at the child-friendly and women-friendly spaces in the evacuation centers to alleviate the stress and anxiety of the evacuees,” DSWD Asst. Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao said.
Based on the latest report of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Management, Information Communication (DROMIC), a total of 12,286 families were affected by the volcanic eruptions. Of this number, 5,769 families were directly displaced while more than 3,000 others were tentatively housed at 23 evacuation centers taking temporary shelter in 23 evacuation centers in Central and Western Visayas.
“Our field offices in Western and Central Visayas conducted activities such as arts and crafts making, storytelling sessions, parenting dialogues, and various mental health interventions in partnership with the local and national government agencies, and other private organizations,” Dumlao said.
