Kanlaon Volcano Evacuees Urged to Return Home

The local government of La Castellana in Negros Occidental, led by Mayor Añejo Nicor and the Incident Management Team (IMT), held a meeting on Monday afternoon, June 30. They urged Kanlaon Volcano evacuees from Barangay Cabagna-an who left an evacuation center without permission to return.

The local government emphasized that evacuees can visit their houses during their window time from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. They addressed individuals who held a meeting at the Senior High School evacuation center and convinced some evacuees to return without proper authorization.

Despite the prohibition from returning to the six-kilometer Extended Danger Zone (EDZ), 37 families or 100 individuals left the evacuation center on Monday morning. Authorities also called out the person who recorded the evacuees riding a truck and shared it on social media, urging them to remove the post.

A written explanation or personal appearance to the IMT or barangay chairman within 24 hours was requested. Vice Mayor Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan mentioned the potential political involvement and stated efforts to persuade the evacuees to return to their temporary shelters for safety.