In response to the looming threat of an eruption from Mt. Kanlaon, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the Negros Island Region (NIR) is actively developing contingency plans for the upcoming 2025 midterm elections. Lionel Marco Castillano, the regional director of Comelec-NIR, has been leading inspections across Canlaon City and surrounding areas in Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental to evaluate schools that are set to serve as voting centers.
The heightened activity of Mt. Kanlaon has put several local government units (LGUs) within its four-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) at increased risk. These include Canlaon City, La Carlota, La Castellana, and San Carlos City. Recent reports from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) have noted steam and ash emissions from the volcano, prompting the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to issue daily ash fall warnings to residents in the affected regions.
To mitigate potential disruptions, election officers in each municipality are tasked with creating contingency plans. This includes identifying alternative locations for voting centers should an eruption occur. Castillano emphasized the importance of early preparation to avoid any postponement of the elections, which could lead to additional costs, logistical challenges for teachers serving as election officials, and potential impacts on national election outcomes.
Many of the schools designated as voting centers are also used as evacuation sites during natural disasters, adding another layer of complexity to the election preparations. The exact number of schools that might be affected by volcanic activity will be finalized after Comelec-NIR completes its site inspections.