Canlaon City, located in Negros Oriental, has taken significant steps to improve its disaster response capabilities by introducing a new siren system. This system, recently tested, is designed to alert residents and evacuees about dangerous volcanic activity from Mt. Kanlaon. The city’s information officer, Edna Lhou Masicampo, emphasized the siren’s role as a vital tool for guiding people to safety during emergencies.
The siren system uses different durations to communicate specific actions. A two-minute siren signals those within the 6-km Permanent Danger Zone to evacuate immediately to designated transport areas. A five-minute siren indicates a mandatory evacuation for those within a 10-km radius. Masicampo stressed the importance of this system in ensuring quick and effective communication during escalating volcanic activity.
The implementation of the siren system is part of a larger disaster preparedness effort, which includes training over 100 new camp managers. These managers participated in a two-day intensive training on incident management and evacuation protocols, aimed at enhancing the operations of the 10 evacuation centers established following the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon on December 9.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD 7) led the training, responding to the fatigue felt by camp managers who have been working since the eruption. Additionally, DSWD is conducting assessments of evacuation centers in preparation for a potential Alert Level 4 declaration for Mt. Kanlaon. These assessments, carried out in collaboration with Canlaon City disaster officials, covered shelters in Ayungon, Guihulngan City, and Vallehermoso, with plans to use neighboring towns like La Libertad and Tayasan as additional evacuation sites.