Bacolod: A team from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is validating and evaluating the proposed programs, activities, and projects (PAPs) under the Kanlaon Recovery and Development Plan (KRDP) in Negros Island this week. Set from Oct. 27 to 30, the National Project Validation and Evaluation (NPVE) covers seven local government units (LGUs) affected by the series of explosive eruptions of Mt. Kanlaon since June 3, 2024.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Office of Civil Defense – Negros Island Region (OCD-NIR) Director Donato Sermeno III stated that the NPVE is an outcome of the joint Regional Task Force – National Task Force (RTF-NTF) workshop and consultative meeting held last month. Director Sermeno emphasized the importance of conducting this NPVE to validate and assess the PAPs under the infrastructure sector, as part of the finalization of the KRDP, to assist Kanlaon-affected communities in their recovery efforts.
The proposed PAPs involve the municipalities of La Castellana, Moises Padilla, and Murcia, as well as the cities of Bago, La Carlota, and San Carlos in Negros Occidental, and Canlaon in Negros Oriental. The KRDP aims to address the impacts of Kanlaon’s volcanic activities and expedite the recovery, redevelopment, and resilience-building of the affected areas.
According to OCD-NIR, the responses are in line with the policies and frameworks approved by the NDRRMC, as directed by the Office of the President Administrative Order No. 32 dated April 24, 2025. This order also mandates the creation of the NTF Kanlaon to oversee and coordinate all government PAPs under the KRDP.
The KRDP focuses on five key areas: housing and resettlement, infrastructure, social welfare, livelihood and business development, and governance. The NDRRMC’s NPVE Team includes representatives from the OCD, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Department of Public Works and Highways. They are tasked with validating and evaluating infrastructure projects that aim to restore essential services, enhance resilience, and support socio-economic recovery. This is done in coordination with the RTF Kanlaon and the concerned local disaster risk reduction and management councils and offices.
Mt. Kanlaon remains under Alert Level 2, restricting entry within the 4-kilometer permanent danger zone and requiring residents in the area to remain evacuated. Since June of the previous year, Mt. Kanlaon has experienced five explosive eruptions, with the latest occurring on Oct. 24.
