The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Field Office (FO) 7 – Central Visayas is ready to support “Plan Exodus,” the contingency plan of the local government unit (LGU) of Canlaon City should the volcanic activities of Mt. Kanlaon escalate into Alert Level 4.
Before the year 2024 ended, DSWD FO-7 Regional Director (RD) Shalaine Lucero said the FO remained on alert to monitor the situation in Canlaon City, with the intensified prepositioning of food and non-food items (FNFIs) in the agency’s warehouses and other storage sites in Negros Oriental.
“DSWD 7 has remained steadfast in monitoring the situation in Canlaon City, ensuring that our responses are timely and effective. Furthermore, we have taken proactive measures by replenishing our warehouses and prepositioning sites in Negros Oriental with family food packs (FFPs) and NFIs ensuring the swift and efficient distribution of aid to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in case of an eruption,” FO-7 RD Lucero said on Friday (January 3).
RD Lucero said a total of 40,122 boxes of FFPs and 8,948 NFIs amounting to almost Php40 million have been prepositioned across the Negros Island.
The NFIs consist of family, hygiene, sleeping, and kitchen kits; modular tents; and laminated sacks, including Camp Management Kits, Women Friendly Space Kits (WFS), and Child-Friendly Space Kits (CFS).
The Canlaon City’s Plan Exodus will be activated in case Mt. Kanlaon’s unrest goes up to Alert Level 4, which will require the forced evacuation of residents living inside the 14-km radius from Mt. Kanlaon’s slope.
Nearby towns around Canlaon City, particularly Vallehermoso, Guihulngan City, La Libertad, Ayungon, and Tayasan will open evacuation centers and host the evacuees.
DSWD FO-Central Visayas Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD) Chief Lilibeth Cabiara explained that a team from Canlaon City and the DSWD Camp Coordination and Management Cluster (CCMC) will visit the evacuation centers to ensure their compliance with the required minimum standards.
“The DSWD will ensure that the designated centers of these local government units are fully prepared and equipped to accommodate families and individuals who may need to evacuate,” Chief Cabiara said.
Asst. Regional Director for Administration (ARDA) Tonyson Luther Lee, the FO-7’s QRT vice chairperson for administration, said the Department is coordinating closely with the LGU of Canlaon City to ensure the swift and synchronized response operations in case of an eruption.
“We are continuously coordinating with the LGU of Canlaon City, under the leadership of Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas, to ensure that our operational response is fully aligned. Additionally, the DSWD-7 Quick Response Team (QRT) is working around the clock in the evacuation centers to guarantee that IDPs receive the necessary support during their temporary stay in the camps,” ARDA Lee said.
