Mt. Kanlaon alert level downgraded; evacuees return home

Canlaon City and Negros Occidental are preparing measures for the safe return of evacuees who have been staying in shelters since Mt. Kanlaon's eruption last December.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) downgraded Mount Kanlaon's alert level from 3 to 2, allowing residents beyond the 4-km Permanent Danger Zone to return home starting early Thursday.

As of Friday, more than 500 families have returned to their homes within Mt. Kanlaon's extended danger zone, leading to the closure of seven evacuation centers in Canlaon City, with only three remaining open.

Seth Cabanas Bariga, information officer for the city's Emergency Operations Center, reported that while around 1,798 individuals have left the evacuation camps, at least 103 families still reside within the four-kilometer permanent danger zone and remain in shelters due to ongoing volcanic risks.

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has prioritized establishing a permanent relocation site for IDPs living within the danger zone, with property acquisition already underway in La Castellana.