In a heartwarming display of community spirit, Bago City employees chose to forgo their traditional Christmas party to bring festive cheer to those displaced by the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon. On December 23, 2024, under the ‘Adopt an Evacuation Center’ program in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Western Visayas, four groups of city workers organized celebrations and distributed gifts at various evacuation centers.
Mayor Nicholas Yulo, who addressed the evacuees, praised the city hall staff for their compassion and commitment to helping fellow Bagonhons during this challenging time. He reassured the internally displaced persons (IDPs) that the city government would continue to support them, expressing hope for their swift return home.
The festivities took place across multiple locations, including the Amateur Boxer of the Philippines Building, Ramon Torres National High School Gymnasium, Regional Evacuation Center, and the Technical Livelihood Development Center (TLDC), among others. The Yellow Vanguards group hosted a party for 111 individuals from 39 families at the TLDC, table tennis court, and mess hall. Meanwhile, the Flaming Pleach, Blue Titans, and Green Warriors groups brought joy to over a hundred evacuees at the athletes’ headquarters and other centers.
The celebrations included a lunch, entertainment, games with prizes, and the distribution of food packs, cash, and toys for children. Leah Pilipina Canayon, the City Social Welfare and Development officer, highlighted the event as a testament to the solidarity between the local government and the evacuees facing the threat from Mt. Kanlaon.
According to the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, as of 4 p.m. on December 23, 1,856 residents from 551 families across four villages in Bago City had been evacuated since the eruption on December 9. However, only 500 individuals from 161 families in Barangay Ilijan remained in the evacuation centers.