WORK in government offices is suspended indefinitely in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, which is now under a state of calamity after the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon Monday night.
In an executive order released Wednesday, Mayor Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan declared the “suspension of work in all government offices and agencies except those with functions that involve the delivery of basic services, disaster preparedness and response and other vital services.”
“To ensure the safety of the employees, their families, and the public, there is a need to suspend work in all government offices and agencies,” she said.
Nicor-Mangilimutan also encouraged work to be suspended in private organizations at the discretion of the owners or authorities.
The mayor said six villages at the foot of Mt. Kanlaon, among these Sag-ang, Cabagnaan, and Biaknabato, are the worst hit, with the heavy ashfall damaging agricultural lands and fishponds.
She added all 13 barangays felt the sulfurous odor after the volcanic eruption.
As of Tuesday night, some 203 families, composed of 842 individuals, have been staying in various evacuation centers in La Castellana, the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office data showed. (PNA)
