Evacuees continue to receive food aid

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BACOLOD CITY — The provincial government of Negros Occidental will continue to provide food assistance to Kanlaon evacuees still staying in temporary shelters in La Castellana, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Tuesday.

"It depends [on] where they transferred. If they return to their residences, it stops. If they were moved to tent cities, we will continue with the assistance to them," Lacson said.

More than 2,400 internally displaced persons were asked to vacate temporary shelters in school buildings where they stayed after Kanlaon Volcano erupted on Dec. 9, 2024.

They were either transferred to other evacuation areas or allowed to return home before the school year 2025–2026 opened on Monday.

The governor said if the evacuees were transferred to covered courts in their barangay, it is like they were allowed to go back to their areas.

"So if it is near their area, we cease to provide their daily needs as they start to live their normal lives. Their houses need to be cleaned up first before they enter," the governor said.

Donato Sermeno III, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) regional director for Negros Island Region, earlier said the OCD has initially sent 180 emergency shelter tents to house 369 families from Barangay Cabagnaan, who were moved out from La Castellana Elementary School.

Sermeno said they are temporarily staying at the school grounds, with the consent of La Castellana National High School officials, pending relocation to a temporary camp in Barangay Mansalanao, La Castellana.

Others will occupy the 90 emergency tents already established at Villa Cana in Barangay Robles, La Castellana, he added.

Remuel Lajo, La Castellana Public Information officer, also said that internally displaced persons from the villages of Biak na Bato, Mansalanao, Masulog and Sag-ang were transferred from the poblacion evacuation centers to their respective barangay covered courts.

"Others have decided to stay with their relatives," Lajo added.

In Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, about 2,400 evacuees remained inside the school campus but were asked to stay in modular tents, away from the classrooms.

Meanwhile, Lacson said that Barangay Mansalanao was chosen as an appropriate area for relocation.

"For the meantime, it will be the Office of Civil Defense that will provide tents for their temporary use," the governor said.

"If that area can really be a permanent relocation site, then the provincial government will develop the area. For the meantime, it will be a tent city for the evacuees."

Lacson admitted that staying there will be a challenge because the area is prone to flooding.

"We are still looking for a permanent relocation site," he said.