Bago City: Some 22 families, composed of 80 individuals, affected by the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Occidental are now occupying a new resettlement site in Bago City to further protect them from the ongoing threat posed by the volcano.
According to Philippines News Agency, the internally displaced persons (IDPs) were transferred on Monday to the Payag sang Kapag-on Village in Barangay Napoles, after staying for almost four months at the Regional Evacuation Center in Barangay Lag-asan. The city government reported that instead of using modular tents, the local government unit (LGU) has opted for modernized nipa huts or ‘bahay kubo’ for their sustainability.
The project, introduced in January, was highlighted by Dr. Merijene Ortizo, head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, who noted that nipa huts are a more resilient alternative to tents. The structures are designed to provide privacy and natural ventilation for the families, while fostering a communal living environment.
The Payag sang Kapag-on Village, situated on a seven-hectare property owned by the LGU, accommodates the IDPs from Purok Manokan, Barangay Ilijan, which is located within the six-kilometer permanent danger zone of Mt. Kanlaon. The temporary resettlement site features underground electrical cables, LED lights, and septic tanks for portable toilets.
This initiative is part of the city government’s efforts to prepare for a possible escalation of Mt. Kanlaon’s alert status, from Alert Level 3 to 4, in the event of another eruption. This follows the explosive eruption on December 9, 2024. Evacuation centers in La Carlota and San Carlos cities, and La Castellana town remain open, accommodating residents from villages within the six-kilometer permanent danger zone.
On Tuesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology shared time-lapse footages on social media showing ash emissions at the volcano’s summit crater occurring four times throughout the morning. These events generated grayish plumes rising 300 to 500 meters above the crater, drifting southwest.
