Bacolod: The Commission on Elections-Negros Island Region (Comelec-NIR) is modifying its preparations for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in areas around Mt. Kanlaon, which were previously considered 'high risk' due to volcanic activity.

According to Philippines News Agency, the adjustments follow the return of thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their homes after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology decreased the volcano's alert level from 3 to 2. This change allows the IDPs to leave evacuation camps, except for those within the 4-km Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ).

Comelec-NIR Election Director Lionel Marco Castillano stated that the election contingency plans will be downgraded, specifically for areas outside the PDZ, although minimal changes will be made. In Canlaon City, only one school used as a voting center within the PDZ remains at risk, along with a few others in La Castellana, Negros Occidental.

During the May 12 midterm elections, schools within the immediate vicinity of Mt. Kanlaon were not utilized as voting centers due to the threat of a major eruption. As a result, registered voters in temporary camps had to cast their votes elsewhere. Castillano noted that for the upcoming BSKE, registered voters inside the PDZ might need to vote at the nearest available voting center.

In case of another volcanic eruption, Comelec is prepared to revert to the contingency plan employed during the May elections. Additionally, a new round of voter registration is anticipated following potential legislative changes. If President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signs the measure postponing the BSKE from December 1 to November 2026, voter registration will resume from October 2025 to July 2026, after the October 13 parliamentary elections of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.