All 12 barangays in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental will get one mini dump truck each to be used for public works and other purposes to help in recovery efforts, an official said Wednesday.

Seth Bariga, information officer of Canlaon City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), told the Philippine News Agency that Governor Manuel Sagarbarria led the turnover of the brand new dump trucks Tuesday in that mountain city.

“The mini dump trucks will be utilized for infrastructure projects, disaster response and other emergencies, and other purposes,” Bariga said.

He said it will be a big help for the barangays, especially during emergencies, such as the evacuation of residents, in the event of a volcanic eruption.

Canlaon City is slowly transitioning to “normal” after thousands of residents outside of the 4-km. permanent danger zone (PDZ) of Mt. Kanlaon were allowed to return home after months of staying in evacuation camps since the Dec. 9, 2024 eruption.

The tourism industry was closed to the public for months until recently when Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas lifted the suspension on tourism activities.

Only a few hundred people whose houses and farms are inside the PDZ remain in the evacuation camps.

Bariga said the barangays will be responsible for the operations and maintenance of the dump trucks.

This is a fulfillment of the governor’s promise to help Canlaon City’s development efforts, he added.

Cardenas thanked Sagarbarria for the donation, saying this is a symbol of unity between the local government unit and the provincial government to improve the quality of public service that benefits the people, Bariga added. (PNA)