REGION 6 has an active volcano, the Kanlaon in Negros Island, thus we can certainly learn something from how local governments in the Bicol region deal with the currently restive Mayon volcano. It may be far from Western Visayas but we can learn lessons from what’s happening there.
It is good that both national and local government officials are implementing disaster risk reduction measures and encouraging the public to heed the call of authorities to evacuate and seek shelter away from danger zones because unpredictability is the game of volcanoes.
The call of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology for the public to be vigilant and desist from entering the Permanent Danger Zone and the Extended Danger Zone due to the danger of rock falls, landslides, and sudden explosions or dome collapse that may generate hazardous volcanic flows must be heeded.
Our authorities should effectively carry out disaster risk reduction measures to save lives and prevent further danger. The public must also trust our officials and understand that what they are doing is to secure our safety and welfare.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the Department of Health, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, as well as other frontline agencies, must provide the necessary support for the needs of the affected families. We must ensure that those in the evacuation centers are provided with basic needs such as food, potable water, medicine, latrines with clean water so that citizens would not have a reason to go back to their homes as we expect a possible eruption.
Our agencies and local government officials must strive to ensure zero casualties when Kanlaon gets restive. We have done so in the past, and we can definitely do it again. A zero-casualty count should be our standard in all our disaster risk reduction and management efforts.
Extra vigilance is what’s needed.
