Capitol eyes land buy for Kanlaon IDP relocation

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY – Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the provincial government is pushing ahead with plans to acquire two properties in La Castellana town to serve as permanent relocation sites for residents displaced by the recent Kanlaon volcano eruption.

“I am very determined and bent on buying that land because we need to learn from this calamity,” Lacson told reporters during a press briefing Tuesday morning.

He emphasized that relocating residents away from the danger zone is “the most logical and responsible thing we can do.”

The provincial government is considering two properties: one an 8-hectare lot, and the other an 11-hectare lot.

“We will begin with just one site for now,” Lacson said. “The other one can proceed too, provided we can legally purchase it at a price acceptable to the landowner.”

Lacson said the goal is to finalize the acquisition within the year, adding that he hopes the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council will also be ready to proceed with land development.

The matter was discussed during a Kanlaon Technical Working Group meeting on Monday, which focused on the broader rehabilitation plan.

“We are now deep into negotiations with a landowner, who I believe has already agreed for the province to purchase the said lot,” Lacson said.

He noted that once the acquisition is finalized, the province will begin relocating affected families.

The HUDCC will handle land development and provide housing, while the province will donate the purchased land as a relocation site.

Lacson said one of the proposed relocation areas has a school nearby.

“If families relocate there, their children can transfer to that school, and we will begin preparing to build more classrooms,” he said.

He added that the Department of Education will be asked to allocate additional resources for the area.

The 8-hectare site can accommodate around 200 families, with part of the land allocated for farm lots to support livelihoods.

The area lies outside the 6-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone, ensuring that families won’t have to evacuate again in case of future volcanic activity.

Meanwhile, the Capitol Community Kitchen will continue operations to feed evacuees still housed in covered courts in the barangays.

Lacson said the provincial government is waiting for a final headcount, as some families have already returned home and will no longer be part of the program.

“Only those still in the covered courts of the barangays will be included,” he said.

The community kitchen is funded through a PHP50 million assistance from Malacañang, of which PHP2.8 million remains, Lacson said.