OVER 4,000 individuals displaced by the “explosive eruption” of Kanlaon Volcano in December last year are returning to their homes starting today with the downgrade of the volcano’s alert status to Alert Level 2 (moderate level of volcanic unrest).
As of yesterday, Regional Task Force Kanlaon chief Raul Fernandez said authorities were still finalizing the decamping procedure for the displaced population.
“They will start returning today (Friday). The LDRRMC (local disaster risk reduction and management council) held a meeting to finalize their decampment plan,” said Fernandez.
He said 1,287 families or 4,180 individuals are projected to return to their homes.
However, he said 81 families or 300 individuals will remain in evacuation centers because their houses are located inside the four-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ). They evacuated after the volcano had an explosive eruption on December 9 last year.
The eruption prompted the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Phivolcs) to raise the volcano’s alert status to Alert Level 3 (high level of volcanic unrest).
On Tuesday, Philvolcs downgraded the volcano’s alert status to Level 2 due to reduced activities, including quakes and sulfur dioxide emissions, in the past months.
In a statement, the Office of Civil Defense-Negros Island Region (NIR)said the evacuees may return to their homes once the decampment procedures are finalized.
