With 10 camps still operating in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, sheltering displaced families affected by the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon, response operations from government and private sectors continue to pour in—a display of Filipino ‘Bayanihan’ spirit.
The Alert Status of Canlaon City remains at Level 3, which means, all families living within the 6 km radius of the volcano must evacuate and seek temporary shelter either in camps established by the LGU or outside the designated evacuation sites like relatives’ residences.
Since the start of the operations on December 10, 2024, DSWD 7 has deployed four batches of Quick Response Teams involved in the camp coordination and camp management, donations, mobile command center, public information, and distribution of food and non-food items to the affected communities.
Each team operates on a 7-day rotational schedule to support the affected families and provide technical support to the LGU in the disaster relief operations.
Along with DSWD’s efforts, the LGU Canlaon City has also seen responses from other government agencies who provided essential services to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Families affected, which showed them the true meaning of ‘Bayanihan’ or community solidarity during challenging times.
Uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard provide safety and security services inside the camps. The Philippine Navy and the Armed Forces of the Philippines help deliver relief goods from DSWD warehouses to the camps using their personnel and transportation assets.
As the lead in the Health Cluster, the Department of Health has also set up a medical desk inside the camps where they bring essential medical services to address various health concerns.
According to Regional Director Shalaine Marie S. Lucero, DSWD leads the response cluster and sits as the vice-chair of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) of Central Visayas. “We are constantly monitoring the situation on the ground and communicating with other agencies to streamline our efforts in carrying out efficient responses for the affected communities, especially with LGU Canlaon City where we continue to provide them with technical assistance on areas we are mandated to,” she added.
Meanwhile, the Donations Desk set up by the LGU and assisted by DSWD continues to receive a total of Php 9,921,177.89 worth of in-kind donations while cash reached Php 655,000.00 as of January 1, 2024.
The Donations Team encourages those who want to donate to visit the Canlaon City Tourism Office or their social media pages for more information.
New Year’s Eve
As of December 31, we have entered the 23rd day of disaster response operations in Canlaon City. The local government unit (LGU) is proactively preparing for the worst-case scenario should the volcano’s alert status be raised to Level 4.
In preparation for the worst-case scenario or the progression of the volcano’s seismic activity to an explosive eruption, the LGU is ready to deploy its Exit Operations During Uncertainties Strategy or Plan EXODUS, where evacuees and residents will transfer to neighboring towns.
The LGU leads this systematic approach along with other government agencies, including DSWD, who play crucial roles in the evacuation planning of IDPs from the camps.
The LGU and government agencies conducted a simulation exercise for evacuation and transportation practices to carry out the plan.
Canlaon City Mayor Jose Chubasco B. Cardenas expressed his appreciation for DSWD in his new year’s message to DSWD. “Ang inyong kusog ug suporta sa pagtabang sa mga evacuees maoy naghatag ug kadasig kanamo. Sa panahon sa kalisod, ang inyong presensya ug serbisyo mao ang nagpalig-on sa atong paningkamot nga mahatagan og maayong serbisyo ang mga apektadong indibidwal ug pamilya,” he said.
On New Year’s Eve, displaced families inside the camps experienced a celebration like no other—experiencing it away from their homes, spending it with other affected families, and appreciating the DSWD Angels in Red Vests, who organized an activity filled with interactive games, dance presentations, exchanges of gifts, among others. ###
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