The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) raises serious concern over the situation in the Kanlaon area, where the continuing volcanic activity of Mt. Kanlaon has displaced families and gravely disrupted access to education.

As reflected in the July 2025 data from the Department of Education (DepEd), at least 1,403 learners and personnel from the Schools Division Offices of Canlaon and La Castellana in Negros Occidental have been directly affected and displaced due to the effects of the volcanic activity. This ongoing hazard has forced the suspension of regular classes, compelled the use of classrooms as evacuation centers and temporary shelters, and created significant challenges in ensuring learning continuity.

The Commission stresses that this crisis impacts the fundamental right to education, deepening the risks faced by displaced children. In particular, children with disabilities face heightened barriers in times of disaster and displacement—whether in accessing inclusive learning modalities, receiving psychosocial support, or ensuring accessibility of evacuation sites and temporary learning spaces. A disability-inclusive response is therefore crucial to guarantee that no child is left behind.

CHR acknowledges the efforts of DepEd in ensuring learning continuity through alternative delivery modes and partnerships with local governments. These initiatives reflect the shared commitment to uphold the right to education despite the challenges of displacement.

However, such measures fall short without adequate shelter, sustained food assistance, and psychosocial support, all of which are essential foundations for effective and meaningful learning. Under the United Nations Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, the State bears the primary responsibility to provide protection and humanitarian assistance—requiring not only decisive and sustained action, but also a holistic, whole-of-government approach that integrates the specific needs of children, including those with disabilities, for comprehensive and coordinated responses.

In this regard, CHR reiterates its earlier advisory on upholding the rights of internally displaced children. This issuance aims to raise public awareness of the unique vulnerabilities of children affected and displaced by natural hazards and internal armed conflicts, and to reinforce the obligation of duty-bearers to protect and fulfill their rights. The full Human Rights Advisory on Upholding the Rights of Internally Displaced Children may be accessed here: https://bit.ly/HRAdisplacedchildren

CHR further enjoins national and local governments, humanitarian actors, civil society, and displaced communities themselves to work together in safeguarding the rights and dignity of internally displaced children. Protecting their education, alongside their safety, accessibility, security, and overall well-being, must remain a paramount concern in both policy and practice. ###