La carlota city: Local government units (LGUs) in central and southern Negros Occidental have initiated the evacuation of residents in areas threatened by floods due to heavy rains. The Department of the Interior and Local Government in Negros Occidental has suspended classes and government work as a precautionary measure.
According to Philippines News Agency, as of 11:30 a.m., 112 families, totaling 389 individuals from three barangays in La Carlota City, have sought refuge in evacuation centers, while others have taken shelter with relatives, as per data from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO). In Barangay San Miguel, 13 families, comprising 40 individuals, are staying at two campuses of San Miguel Elementary School. Meanwhile, in Barangay Yubo, 10 families have been accommodated at Sitio Parkingan Child Development Center, with three families at Yubo National High School, while the remaining 32 families have found refuge with relatives.
In Barangay Roberto S. Benedicto (RSB), 54 families or 213 individuals have been displaced, with 25 families relocated to La Carlota Sugar Central Elementary School and two families moved to RSB Integrated School. Additionally, 27 families or 115 individuals are staying with relatives. The CSWDO has distributed family food packs to the evacuees and established child-friendly spaces in the centers. Assessment of partially and totally damaged houses is currently underway.
In other LGUs, such as La Castellana and Kabankalan City, evacuations began on Sunday night. A report from the Provincial Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office indicates that 681 families, or 2,832 individuals, have been affected by the heavy rains in Kabankalan, La Carlota, Pontevedra, and La Castellana. Kabankalan is the hardest hit, with 466 families, or 2,258 individuals, impacted across three barangays. In Barangay Binicuil alone, 341 families, or 1,641 individuals, have been affected, with 33 families, or 99 persons, staying in evacuation centers.
In Pontevedra, two barangays have been impacted, displacing 31 families or 75 individuals who have sought refuge in evacuation centers. Three villages in La Castellana, including Robles, Biak na Bato, and Sag-ang, report 99 families, or 346 individuals, residing in evacuation centers. In Barangay Biak na Bato, where creeks overflowed due to heavy siltation by lahar from Kanlaon Volcano, 59 families or 191 persons have been evacuated.
La Castellana Mayor A±ejo Nicor stated that personnel from the Rural Health Unit, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and other offices providing basic services are on standby. To ensure uninterrupted delivery of essential services, relevant offices and units will remain operational. The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Negros Island Region also distributed family food packs and sleeping kits to displaced families in La Castellana on Monday.
