Since the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon on December 9, 2024, DSWD Field Office 7 has deployed three batches of Quick Response Teams to Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, to support Mt. Kanlaon alert level 3 response operations.
According to PHIVOLCS, Mt. Kanlaon has been continuously displaying seismic activity, raising its alert status to Level 3, which means the eruption may progress to further explosions.
As of week four, the Quick Response Teams (QRTs) have successfully provided technical assistance to the established 10 evacuation centers of LGU Canlaon, providing temporary shelter for internally displaced families.
It continues to provide monitoring and technical assistance on disaster operations and provide LGUs with augmentation support for the affected communities.
DSWD has supported displaced families and individuals with family food packs, non-food items, and cash relief assistance.
The agency has also prepositioned goods in nearby LGUs to ensure disaster preparedness should the worst-case scenario occur.
By far, the city remains the only LGU in the province with Alert Level 3, forcing five barangays to evacuate.
City Mayor Jose Chubasco B. Cardenas thanked DSWD for its continued support. “We are truly grateful for this government agency because they never left us despite the holiday season. They could have spent time with their families, but they have chosen to be with us in these trying times,” he said.
Meanwhile, the QRT Team 4 departed on December 29, 2024, and will continue the operations after previous teams rendered the 7-day rotational duty.
Assistant Director Tonyson Luther S. Lee, who leads QRT 4, said the tour of duty will continue until it is safe for the communities to resume normalcy. “Until then, DSWD staff will continue to render duty because they have understood the commitment of the agency’s work—to respond to the call of duty above all else,” he said.
He emphasized the DSWD’s role in supporting the LGU and collaborating with other agencies for further interventions. “We must prioritize the best interests of the IDPs and let them feel our presence and service to them,” he emphasized.
The QRTs have been providing technical support on camp coordination and management, donation management, running a community kitchen, and other essential provisions to ensure the well-being of evacuees.
Along with staff, DSWD also deployed a Mobile Command Center, which functions primarily as operations’ information and communications technology hub. ###
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