In Bacolod City, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is actively preparing for a potential increase in the alert level of Mt. Kanlaon to Level 4, which would necessitate the evacuation of an additional 100,000 individuals from the expanded 10-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ). OCD Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno emphasized the logistical challenges of evacuating such a large population, despite the national government’s adequate disaster response funding. ‘The key question is how quickly we can move these people if necessary. It’s a complex task that requires careful planning,’ Nepomuceno stated during a media interview.
At the Provincial Capitol, Nepomuceno convened with key figures including Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, La Castellana Mayor Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan, and Ma. Antonia Bornas from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to review the current status of Mt. Kanlaon and the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Following the eruption on December 9, Phivolcs had escalated the volcano’s alert level to 3, signaling the onset of a magmatic eruption that could escalate further, prompting the evacuation of residents within a six-kilometer radius.
Phivolcs’ recent advisory on January 11 suggested that the volcano’s shallow magma conduit might be pressurizing, potentially leading to an eruption similar to the one on December 9, 2024. La Castellana, located at the base of Mt. Kanlaon, has been the most affected, with six villages and over 4,335 IDPs currently sheltered in evacuation centers.
Nepomuceno discussed evacuation strategies with Lacson and Nicor-Mangilimutan to ensure readiness for any escalation. He confirmed that new funds for 2025 are available, and the national government, through agencies like the OCD, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of Health, is prepared to offer assistance.
Emphasizing the seriousness of evacuating 100,000 people, Nepomuceno urged those already displaced to remain in evacuation centers for their safety and to facilitate a smoother evacuation process if Alert Level 4 is declared. He noted that while residents outside the six-kilometer PDZ are not currently at risk, compliance from local mayors in evacuating those within the zone has been satisfactory.
In recent developments, over 2,000 residents affected by ashfall in La Castellana, but outside the six-kilometer PDZ, have been permitted to return home. In Bago City, the number of people in evacuation centers has significantly dropped from 500 to just 50 over the past week.