The City of Canlaon is calling for donations of essential items such as large cooking pots (kaldero), cauldrons (kawa), diapers, and milk for the evacuation centers.
The call was made in its social media page after evacuees from five barangays situated in the six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone kept pouring into the evacuation centers following the order by the national government for mandatory evacuation from the area.
The City has opened additional evacuation centers to ensure adequate shelter for affected residents.
The evacuation centers include the Macario Española Memorial School, the Jose B. Cardenas Memorial High School and the Uptown Annex, the City gymnasium, and the Panubigan Elementary School.
According to a report from the Canlaon City Police Station as of midnight Thursday, 863 families—totaling 2,819 individuals—are taking temporary refuge in these facilities.
A source told the MetroPost that the City needs P29 million to feed the evacuees for the next 21 days.
The City requests that donations be coursed through the Incident Command Post located at the Canlaon City Tourism Office for proper accounting, which may also be reached at mobile number (0965) 664-3200.
Canlaon City Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas personally welcomed evacuees arriving on Wednesday evening, assuring them that the City government is working to provide food and essential relief supplies.
To accommodate the influx, modular tents have been installed at the City gymnasium, while classrooms in the designated schools have been converted into temporary living spaces.
Mayor Cardenas reminded government agencies to remain vigilant, and to prioritize public safety, urging a continuous monitoring of the situation as volcanic activity could still pose risks.
Meanwhile, the Negros Oriental provincial government has committed to give P5,000 in financial aid to each family in Canlaon City affected by the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon.
Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria announced during a press conference Thursday that the assistance would be distributed in January.
He noted that funds are available but the provincial government cannot yet utilize its Quick Reaction Fund without a formal declaration of a State of Calamity.
“Under the law, at least two local government units must declare a State of Calamity before I can issue a Province-wide declaration,” Sagarbarria said, urging the town of Vallehermoso, near Canlaon City, to make the declaration.
Canlaon City has maintained its State of Calamity since the volcano erupted on June 3.
The QRF is critical for preemptive measures amid Mt. Kanlaon’s restiveness, especially after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology & Seismology warned of a possible escalation in seismic activity.
In the same briefing, Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said they are monitoring Mt. Kanlaon’s activity under the current Alert Level 3 status.
If the restiveness increases, the alert level could be raised to 4, which would expand the permanent danger zone from six kilometers to 10 kilometers, and force more evacuations.
Mayor Chubasco Cardenas urged residents in the PDZ to evacuate, assuring them that relief goods and other essential supplies are sufficient.
Governor Sagarbarria and Mayor Cardenas later visited evacuation centers to address the concerns of evacuees.
The Department of Social Welfare & Development in Central Visayas, on the other hand, assured the public on Tuesday that adequate stocks of relief supplies are ready for families affected by disasters, including those impacted by the recent eruption of Mt. Kanlaon.
“We would like to assure the LGU, and the affected families that DSWD has enough goods and stocks ready to be deployed in case of major disasters like the Mt. Kanlaon eruption,” DSWD-7 Regional Director Shalaine Lucero said in a statement.
Lucero accompanied Social Work Sec. Rex Gatchalian during his visit to the hardest-hit areas in Negros Occidental, a day after Mt. Kanlaon erupted on Monday and released pyroclastic materials, blanketing nearby communities with ash.
In anticipation of further volcanic activity or its aftereffects, DSWD-7 has prepositioned 900 non-food items in Guihulngan City. These include 300 family kits, 300 kitchen kits, and 300 sleeping kits stored at the agency’s warehouse.
Meanwhile, DSWD’s Quick Response Team and Mobile Command Center have been dispatched to Canlaon City. The MCC, a specially equipped vehicle, is designed to maintain communication and coordination during emergencies.
At evacuation centers, including the Española Memorial School and the Cardenas Memorial High School, Mayor Jose Cardenas distributed packed meals and hygiene kits to over 400 internally displaced persons, supported by DSWD personnel.
DSWD-7 has intensified monitoring of evacuation sites while preparing for potential post-eruption challenges, such as health concerns or additional evacuations. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
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Photo Caption: Personnel from the 303rd Infantry Brigade and the 62nd Infantry Battalion help residents of barangays within the six- kilometer Permanent Danger Zone of Mt. Kanlaon to evacuate to safer grounds after Monday’s explosive eruption. Authorities have placed Kanlaon volcano under Alert Level 3 (magmatic unrest), indicating increased chances for bigger eruptions. (Contributed photo)
