Kanlaon Tent City Active, Not a ‘Ghost City’

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY — Task Force Kanlaon chairman and Office of Civil Defense Region 6 Director Raul Fernandez said the Tent City in Himamaylan City is not a “ghost city.”

Fernandez told Daily Guardian on Tuesday that the Tent City, established for internally displaced persons in case of a Kanlaon Volcano eruption, is currently being used for Boy Scout activities.

Speculation that the area is becoming a ghost city arose after displaced persons, previously housed in schools, were moved to temporary shelters on school grounds in La Castellana.

The transfer was prompted by the resumption of public school classes.

Fernandez stressed that the Tent City was set up specifically to shelter IDPs in the event of a major volcanic eruption.

“That is its primary purpose,” he said.

Fernandez added that the threat of a Kanlaon eruption remains.

“Alert Level 3 pa rin siya, di pa binababa ng PHIVOLCS, so may imminent threat pa rin ng eruption,” he said.

He assured the public that OCD contingency measures remain in place.

Earlier, the provincial government facilitated the decampment of 463 individuals from Barangay Mansalanao and 214 from Barangay Sag-ang in La Castellana.

Buses were provided to transport them from school-based evacuation centers to designated relocation sites.

The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office assisted in the operations.

PDRRMO deployed an ambulance (A14), water tanker, rescue truck and other support vehicles.

Sakolins were turned over to the La Castellana Incident Management Team.

Fifty modular tents were distributed to Barangays Mansalanao and Biak na Bato, while 30 were given to Barangay Masulog.

A generator and a fuel supply were also delivered to Masulog High School Extension.