PBBM orders task force for Kanlaon eruption victims

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the creation of a national task force, which the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is prepared to lead, to address the immediate and long-term needs of communities affected by the Kanlaon Volcano eruption.

The task force will include relevant government agencies and local government units to synergize disaster response and preparedness, and will formulate long-term redevelopment plans for displaced communities.

Permanent evacuation centers will be built outside Kanlaon's six-kilometer permanent danger zone.

Currently, 2,660 families or 8,509 people displaced by Kanlaon's abnormal activities are housed in 23 evacuation centers in Western and Central Visayas.

An additional 90,000 people may need to be evacuated if the volcano's alert level is raised from 3 to 4.

Kanlaon Volcano remains under Alert Level 3, having first registered an explosive eruption on December 9 last year, which produced a voluminous plume and pyroclastic density currents.