President Marcos provides P50 million for Kanlaon victims

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — President Marcos has provided P50 million in assistance for residents of Negros Occidental displaced by the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano.

Earlier, Marcos gave the provincial government of Negros Oriental P60 million to assist residents affected by the volcano eruption.

Rayfrando Diaz, administrator of the provincial government of Negros Occidental, said they have to prioritize those who need urgent assistance.

Up to 11,883 families composed of 45,526 people from 32 barangays in Western and Central Visayas have been displaced by the Kanlaon eruption on Dec. 9.

The Office of Civil Defense said the government has so far provided more than P123.69 million worth of assistance to the victims.

Provincial health officer Girlie Pinongan said an increase in respiratory cases has been observed in evacuation centers.

Pinongan said that evacuees need medicine for cough, flu and fever, which have affected both children and adults, especially in La Castellana.

She said the longer the victims stay in evacuation centers, the higher the possibility of them contracting respiratory diseases.

Alert Level 3 remains hoisted over Kanlaon Volcano.

In the past 24 hours, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded three ash emission events and 16 volcanic quakes lasting four to 52 minutes.

Raul Fernandez, chief of the Task Force Kanlaon, said three possible scenarios are expected to occur in Kanlaon: lava flow, violent eruption and plateauing of the volcano’s activity.

Fernandez said tent cities are being established in Himamaylan in Negros Occidental as well as in Vallehermoso and Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental in preparation for a heightened alert.

Meanwhile, farmers’ group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) appealed for assistance for farmers displaced by the Kanlaon  eruption.

KMP chairman Danilo Ramos said at least 12,000 families or over 45,000 people from 32 barangays in Negros and Panay were affected by the volcanic activity.

Ramos said Bago City, La Castellana and Murcia in Negros Occidental as well as Canlaon City in Negros Oriental were severely affected by the eruption.