Negros Island: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has distributed PHP131.515 million in aid to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Negros Island following the explosive eruption of Mt. Kanlaon on December 9.
According to Philippines News Agency, the DSWD Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center reported that Negros Occidental received PHP83.134 million of the total assistance. Specific allocations included PHP52.774 million for La Castellana, PHP22.358 million for La Carlota City, PHP4.847 million for Bago City, PHP1.482 million for Murcia, PHP1.216 million for Pontevedra, and PHP456,530 for San Carlos City. In Negros Oriental, Canlaon City was the sole beneficiary, receiving PHP48.38 million.
The PHP131.515-million aid is part of a larger PHP233.815 million humanitarian assistance package that includes contributions from local government units (PHP30.392 million), non-government organizations (PHP33.451 million), and other partners (PHP38.456 million).
Kanlaon Volcano remains under Alert Level 3, indicating magmatic unrest. This level suggests that further short-lived explosive eruptions or lava eruptions could occur, as per the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. Following another eruption on April 8, Secretary Rex Gatchalian assured that the DSWD is prepared to deliver family food packs (FFPs) and other necessary assistance to affected families.
More than 250,000 FFPs have been prepositioned in the DSWD Western Visayas and Central Visayas field offices in anticipation of further eruptions. "Apart from the more than 100,000 FFPs in Negros Island, we have over 2.5 million boxes of FFPs prepositioned in other warehouses across the country which we can tap anytime for our relief response," said the DSWD chief.
As of April 9, evacuation centers in Negros Occidental are hosting 1,362 families or 4,264 individuals in La Castellana; 327 families or 1,127 individuals in La Carlota City; 59 families or 205 individuals in San Carlos City; and 22 families or 77 individuals in Bago City. Canlaon City in Negros Oriental is accommodating 838 families or 2,643 individuals in various evacuation centers.
