BACOLOD City – The Bago City Government in Negros Occidental will provide a much better shelter to city residents displaced by the Mt. Kanlaon eruption.
The city government plans to purchase nipa huts as temporary shelter in the proposed “tent city” in Barangay Napoles for 23 remaining families.
The said families reside within the six-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ) of the volcano and are prohibited to return home due to the continuous threat of eruption from the volcano.
According to the City Information Office, instead of camping the internally displaced persons (IDPs) inside the evacuation centers or government buildings, the city government through its City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) decided to utilize the city’s over 2,000 square meters land property as its temporary relocation area or a possible “tent city.”
However, instead of the usual modular tents, each family will get one modernized nipa hut, which designs promote natural ventilation and communal living with a sense of privacy compared to where they are staying in right now.
The CDRRMC will purchase 200 nipa huts as part of the contingency plan should the situation worsen.
Initially, for Phase 1, some 50 nipa huts will be delivered to accommodate the remaining 23 families.
Moreover, livelihood skills training will be given to the IDPs so they can learn and adapt new skills for their daily needs.
At present, the remaining 23 families camp at the Regional Evacuation Center in Crossing Ubay, Barangay Lag-asan.
The City Social Welfare and Development Office continue to aid and address not only their physical but also their mental needs.
Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is preparing for the possible escalation of the alert status of Mt. Kanlaon to Level 4, which will require the evacuation of additional 100,000 persons within the extended 10-kilometer PDZ.
After the eruption on Dec. 9, 2024, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the volcano’s alert level to 3, indicating that “magmatic eruption has begun and may progress to further explosive eruptions,” prompting the evacuation of residents within the extended six-kilometer PDZ./PN
