The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) has sought P500 million from the national government to build permanent evacuation centers with complete facilities in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, according to OCD-6 Regional Director and Task Force Kanlaon head Raul Fernandez.
Fernandez said the agency will use container vans as evacuation centers for internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by the eruption of Mount Kanlaon.
The project will benefit around 35,000 households or housing units. Earlier, Task Force Kanlaon requested P1 billion from the national government for the same initiative.
Officials also called for additional funding during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit to 1,500 evacuees in La Carlota City on February 21.
The President expressed concern for the IDPs and the students, who lost two months of schooling due to the volcano’s activity.
Fernandez added that the project remains in the planning stage. The National Task Force, which the President will establish, must approve the funding before construction begins.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.