Yolanda houses eyed as relocation for Kanlaon evacuees

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is eyeing unoccupied Yolanda housing projects in several local government units in Negros Occidental as relocation sites for people displaced by Kanlaon Volcano.

Raul Fernandez, chief of Task Force Kanlaon and OCD-Western Visayas, said he requested an inventory of government housing projects in Cadiz City, E.B. Magalona, Escalante, Manapla, Sagay, Silay and Victorias as well as the regional evacuation center in Bacolod City.

In La Castellana, Mayor Alme Rhummylan Nicor Mangilimutan reported that 37,000 residents would be evacuated if Alert Level 4 is raised in Kanlaon.

A tent city for displaced La Castellana residents is being established in Himamaylan City.

The Himamaylan National High School will also be used as an evacuation center if the need arises.

A memorandum of agreement is being prepared for signing between the city governments of Bago and Talisay for a similar purpose, Fernandez said.

He said the government is still short of housing units  and looking for relocation  sites for Kanlaon evacuees.

Mangilimutan earlier proposed to relocate her constituents to northern Negros, aside from the tent city in Himamaylan and Binalbagan.

Farmers have been given a window time to return to their farms within the permanent danger zone of Kanlaon to harvest their crops.

Donato Sermeno, chief of OCD-Negros Island Region, said that police officers are guarding the danger zone to prevent residents from sneaking into the area.