No less than 12,000 families were victimized by the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Occidental on Dec. 9, followed by another eruption on Dec. 23 that sent columns of ash blanketing the sky and drifting to Panay. All told, 45,000 people felt the brunt of the volcanic activity, forcing them to leave their communities and seek shelter in evacuation centers.
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) chairman Danilo Ramos has urged the government to help the victims, many of whom are farmers forced to abandon their fields. Initially, only P33.5 million in agricultural losses has been reported. This is a conservative figure as more than 297 hectares of farms have been destroyed, with 832 metric tons of rice, corn, and high-value crops destroyed. A total of 780 farmers are directly affected, with livestock and draft animals affected. The disaster is pushing Negros rural communities deeper into poverty. Ramos said Canlaon City, La Castellana, Bago City, and Murcia are among the hardest-hit areas in Negros island.
Respiratory diseases are surging among evacuees in Negros Occidental, Ramos disclosed, with the provincial health office reporting that prolonged stays in overcrowded evacuation centers have worsened health issues, particularly among children. Common ailments include fever, colds, and cough, underscoring the need for better health services and living conditions. To alleviate the situation, the government must look into the disaster fund still at the hands of DBM. As of September 2024, a total of P3.921 billion is still available for disbursement. If this has been used up, Malacanang should be ready to spend its Contingent Fund (CF) rather than give it gratis to Sara Zimmerman Duterte Carpio as it did in December 2022.
“The Mt. Kanlaon eruption highlights the enduring inequalities in rural communities,” Ramos concluded. “The government’s failure to act decisively in times of calamity deepens the suffering of farmers, who are already burdened by decades of neglect. Comprehensive and sustained support is critical to ensure that affected families can recover and rebuild their livelihoods,” Ramos said. The government must not be penny-wise and pound-foolish in dealing with disasters being a Scrooge at the expense of the people’s welfare is criminal.
Ramos noted that Negros farmers have long suffered from drought and the inadequacy of government assistance and the Department of Agriculture (DA) continues with its sorry record of delivering assistance that is too little, too late. Whether it is the El Nino phenomenon or the Kanlaon eruption, any form of assistance that the DA could provide would be token. “While the DA has announced token assistance fall woefully short of compensating the extensive losses incurred by farmers,” Ramos said.
“The DA’s promise of zero-interest loans and limited aid is a slap in the face of farmers who have already suffered enough since El Nino hit Negros in 2023. Livelihoods destroyed by the eruption require significant and sustained support—not piecemeal aid,” the KMP chairperson explained. Ramos has called on government to allocate sufficient funds to compensate farmers for destroyed crops, livestock, farm tools, and homes. Relief efforts must prioritize farmers’ specific needs, including food aid, agricultural rehabilitation and access to healthcare services in evacuation centers.
Ramos added that the government’s failure to implement appropriate measures exacerbates the vulnerability of farmers to disasters, leaving them unprotected and unsupported during crises. For this year, only P24 billion was allocated for the disaster fund and local government units (LGUs) as well as the Department of Social Work and Development (DSWD) are expected to pitch in. For next year, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) allocated only P31 billion to mitigate disasters despite the fact that on average, the country is lashed by an average of 20 storms annually and threatened by eruptions by dozens of active volcanoes. Being in the “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific, the Philippines is crisscrossed by earthquake faults that move practically daily.
Ramos also noted that while Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman touted the 2025 budget proposal as “people-centered,” the increase in the overall appropriations for disaster relief has been minimal. The proposed budget of P6.352 trillion is already 22.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and the increase allotted for general public services is P1.083 trillion, or a 20.5% increase for doleouts and other forms of assistance. Defense is the biggest budget winner with a 50.8% increase from P278.1 billion last year to P419.3 billion in 2025, or 6.6% of the total budget. But the biggest automatic budget item is a payment of both interest and principal on debt at P876.7-billion from P699.2-billion last year, an increase of 25.4%. Debt payment eats up 13.8% of the entire budget.
