Negros Occidental Declares State of Calamity

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Negros Occidental, in a special session presided over by Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, unanimously approved a resolution from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) declaring the province under a state of calamity.

Ferrer told reporters Friday after the special session that “the Sangguniang Panlalawigan has unanimously approved the request of the governor to declare the province under a state of calamity, and it is effective immediately.”

Eleven provincial board members present during the special session approved the PDRRMC resolution.

Three provincial board members were absent due to official business.

Earlier, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the declaration would enable the provincial and local government units to utilize their calamity funds to assist those affected by the eruption.

The SP approved the resolution recommending the declaration of Negros Occidental under a state of calamity following the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-Phivolcs) notice raising Kanlaon Volcano’s status to Alert Level 3.

The resolution cited that on December 9, 2024, an explosive eruption occurred at Kanlaon Volcano’s summit vent, producing a voluminous plume that rapidly rose to 3,000 meters.

As a result, Phivolcs upgraded Kanlaon’s alert status from Level 2 (increasing unrest) to Level 3 (magmatic unrest).

The following cities and municipalities have been identified as affected by the eruption: La Castellana, La Carlota City, Pontevedra, southeastern portions of Bago City, Valladolid, San Enrique, Hinigaran, and Binalbagan.

The resolution further stated that 33,806 individuals residing within the six-kilometer radius are affected, as indicated in the Province of Negros Occidental’s Contingency Plan for the Kanlaon Volcano eruption and Pyroclastic Density Currents of 2024.

The approved resolution also recommended that the SP immediately convene to pass resolutions addressing the following:

• Release of Calamity Funds: A portion of the calamity fund should be released to provide immediate assistance to those affected, aiding rescue, relief, and rehabilitation efforts.
• Price Freeze: A price freeze on basic necessities and prime commodities should be imposed throughout the province to prevent predatory pricing and hoarding.
• Infrastructure Repairs: Funds should be programmed or reprogrammed for the repair and upgrading of public infrastructure and facilities.
• Quick Response Fund Utilization: The Quick Response Fund (QRF) from the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (LDRRM) funds should be used within affected LGUs or other impacted areas for relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction, recovery, and other necessary efforts.

The SP resolution aims to expedite measures to mitigate the disaster’s impact and provide comprehensive assistance to affected communities.