In a significant move to ensure public safety, the local government of Canlaon City has successfully evacuated more than 6,000 residents from the vicinity of the active Mt. Kanlaon. The evacuation, completed by Tuesday evening, involved relocating 2,029 families, totaling 6,541 individuals, from five barangays within the six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) of the volcano. The affected areas include Pula, Masulog, Linothangan, Malaiba, and Lumapao. These residents are now sheltered in nine designated evacuation centers within the city. Edna Lhou Masicampo, the city’s information officer, stated that the evacuees would remain in these centers until it is deemed safe to return, given the ongoing volcanic activity. To support the evacuees’ livelihoods, the local government has permitted one adult male per family to visit their farms daily from early morning until 4 p.m. to tend to livestock, with strict safety protocols in place. Additionally, efforts are being made to move farm animals out of the danger zone using ten-wheeler trucks, which will transport them to the city’s auction market and the Department of Agriculture barn.
