The City of Bago in Negros Occidental will be marking its month-long 59th charter anniversary with a simplified celebration to ensure the safety of its people amid the continuing unrest of Mt. Kanlaon.

Bago, located just south of Bacolod, is among the localities in Negros Occidental with barangays at the foot of the volcano, with an active evacuation center for residents displaced by its eruption on Dec. 9.

“Due to the foreseen threat of Kanlaon eruption, this year’s charter anniversary activities shall be simplified and reduced,” Mayor Nicholas Yulo said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Together, as one city and people, let us continue to meet the challenges head-on and continue to make a meaningful impact in the lives of the Bagonhons.”

The city’s charter day falls on Feb. 19, which has been declared by Malacañang as a special non-working holiday to give its people the “full opportunity to participate in the occasion and enjoy the celebration.”

Yulo earlier issued an executive order regulating and discouraging night events and activities within the city due to the potential escalation of Mt. Kanlaon’s activity.

Vice Mayor Ramon Torres said the city government wants to ensure that Bagonhons remain safe amid the celebration.

“We really have to see to it that our people are being kept safe as public safety will always be the priority of the local government unit,” he said.

On Monday afternoon, the two officials led the opening of the Agro-Industrial, Cultural and Educational Trade Fair, an event considered an integral part of the city’s charter anniversary celebration participated in by its 24 barangays.

Before it became a city on Feb. 19, 1966, Bago was only a community outside Bacolod.

Through the years, it flourished into a major agricultural city known as the “Ricebowl of Negros Occidental” for being the top rice-producing locality in the province and the region.

“The agriculture industry continues to be the centerpiece of economic activities, bringing more opportunities for our farmers and micro, small and medium enterprises,” Yulo said.

With the theme “Celebrating 59 Years of Strength and Prosperity: Surmounting Challenges, Cultivating Hope,” this year’s celebration will run until March 1. (PNA)