THE coronavirus pandemic has been somehow dominating the time and resources of local governments in the province of Negros Occidental and the country.
Each local government unit (LGU) has strived to manage the risk of the Covid-19 pandemic that has seeped public health and badly drained the economy.
But in the case of the town of La Castellana, it has to double its watch both for the Covid-19 and the recent restiveness of Mt. Kanlaon which settles approximately 30-kilometer interval from the town proper. Thus, the LGU led by Mayor Rhumyla Nicor-Mangilimutan has to ensure its disaster readiness to deal with the possible worst-case scenario citing the Mt. Kanlaon display of unrest.
Mayor Mangilimutan said that it's good that the people have shown their resilience to these conditions because that is what we need to survive as a community and people.
"I am actually optimistic as there were many who said that they were already immune to the restive behavior of the volcano. In 1969, that was a major eruption. But I have not witnessed it as I was not born yet. That was according to my father, former Mayor Alberto 'Bordig' Nicor, Jr. who shared with us that story. Another blast was in 1995 but it was more on thick smoke which spread out from the crater and lately, the tremor that agitated the surrounding community."
She said that in terms of disaster response, they have started their preparation but still they lack vehicles in case there is a need to evacuate those residents living near the foot of Mt. Kanlaon.
However, they are optimistic that the tremors are just common and hopefully it will settle soon, she said.
QUARANTINE CENTERS
Mayor Mangilimutan said the Department of Health in Western Visayas, through Dr. Marlyn W. Convocar, Director IV, certified the utilization of Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park hostel in Sitio Calapnagan, Barangay Bi-ak na Bato in La Castellana as a community isolation center or the next quarantine center of the town.
Mayor Mangilimutan received the certificate recently and the next batch of those who will undergo the 14-day quarantine will be sent to the said isolation center.
Currently, they have over eighty locally stranded individuals (LSIs) being housed in a public school in their town.
She is also thankful that there was no local transmission of Covid-19 despite the increasing number of positive cases involving LSIs and overseas contract workers.