HUMANITARIAN aid provided to those affected by the continuing activities of Kanlaon volcano in Negros Island since December has already reached nearly a quarter billion pesos, data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) showed.
As of April 15, more than P247.99 million worth of food packs and non-food relief items had been distributed, with more than P145.69 million from DSWD, more than ₱30.39 million from the local government units (LGUs), P33.45 million from non-government organizations (NGOs), and P38 million from other partners.
The DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Management, Information, and Communication (DROMIC) said additional food packs had been distributed in the cities of Canlaon and Bago, while cash aid under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) has been distributed to Central Visayas over the weekend.
A total of 2,602 families or 8,304 persons are still taking temporary shelter in 22 evacuation centers (ECs) in Western and Central Visayas while 3,881 families or 12,271 persons are temporarily staying with their relatives or friends.
Alert Level 3 remains in effect over Kanlaon volcano, which means that short-lived explosive eruptions may still occur following the last eruption last April 8.
It is also recommended that communities within a 6-km radius of the summit crater remain evacuated due to the danger of potential pyroclastic density currents or PDCs, ballistic projectiles, rockfalls, ashfall and other related hazards that could be posed by similar explosive eruptions.
