By Xander Ledesma
As of December 14, 2024, families affected by the December 9 eruption of Mount Kanlaon have received approximately PHP14.792 million in humanitarian assistance, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
The aid, comprising family food packs, hygiene kits, and sleeping kits, has been distributed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), local government units (LGUs), and non-government organizations (NGOs).
In Negros Occidental, 4,963 families (16,869 individuals) from 21 villages across six LGUs—including the cities of Bago and La Carlota, and the municipalities of La Castellana, Moises Padilla, Murcia, and Pontevedra—have been affected. Of these, 3,767 families (12,515 individuals) are staying in 22 evacuation centers, with the majority in La Castellana, which has six villages at the foot of Mount Kanlaon. An additional 670 families (2,502 individuals) are staying with relatives or in other nearby locations.
In Negros Oriental, 1,243 families (4,041 individuals) are seeking shelter in evacuation centers.
The DSWD has activated disaster response clusters focusing on protection for internally displaced persons (IDPs), distribution of food and non-food items, and camp coordination and management. Efforts are underway to ensure evacuation centers meet minimum standards, including functional facilities such as community kitchens, separate comfort rooms for males and females, well-lit halls, child-friendly spaces, women-friendly spaces, and breastfeeding areas.
Additionally, the DSWD-6 is assisting the La Castellana municipal government in establishing a designated area for livestock and other domestic animals of IDPs. An open space at La Castellana Elementary School has been allocated to accommodate livestock transported by affected farmers from the villages of Masulog and Cabagna-an. The local government is responsible for providing adequate facilities and food for the animals, with support from the Department of Agriculture and various animal rights organizations.
Mount Kanlaon, one of the Philippines’ most active volcanoes, erupted on December 9, 2024, prompting authorities to raise its alert level to 3, indicating heightened volcanic unrest. The eruption led to mass evacuations, with about 87,000 people being evacuated in Negros on December 10, 2024.