Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. revealed on Tuesday that some residents within the six-kilometer danger zone of Kanlaon Volcano remain reluctant to evacuate, despite the raising of Alert Level 3 following Monday’s eruption.
Hesitation to Leave
Teodoro noted that many residents are hesitant to leave their homes due to unfamiliarity with evacuation procedures and concerns about their properties.
“The issues we are facing now are that people hesitate to evacuate because they are not used to this situation, and they are reluctant to leave their belongings,” Teodoro said in an ambush interview after an inter-agency meeting.
However, he acknowledged progress in the evacuation efforts, particularly in La Castellana, Negros Occidental.
“Municipalities involved, especially La Castellana, are gradually speeding up their evacuation,” he said.
Forced Evacuation Underway
Authorities aim to evacuate approximately 54,000 residents, but the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported that only 9,403 individuals, or 2,880 families, have evacuated so far from five towns and cities in Negros Occidental.
Teodoro said forced evacuation has been initiated, but with efforts to maintain a balance between enforcement and consideration for the affected residents.
“It’s already forced evacuation, but we’re convincing people. Even if it’s forced, they’re still human. We need to find a balance,” he said.
Areas and Resources Affected
The most critically affected areas include La Castellana, Negros Occidental, and Canlaon City, Negros Oriental. Task Force Kanlaon is working to provide adequate provisions for evacuees.
The eruption on Monday lasted nearly four minutes, according to PHIVOLCS, generating a 4,000-meter smoke column and triggering ashfall and pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) that descended the slopes of the volcano.