Bacolod City – Continuous degassing from Kanlaon Volcano’s summit crater has led to intermittent emissions of volcanic ash on Saturday, November 2, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).
In a bulletin issued on Sunday, PHIVOLCS logged 14 volcanic quakes and six ashing events, with an average of 4,171 tons of sulfur dioxide emitted by the volcano on Nov. 2.
“The events generated light-gray plumes that rose 700 meters above the crater before drifting southwest,” it added.
Alert Level remains in effect over the volcano, as activity within the 4-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ) strongly prohibited, as PHIVOLCS warned of sudden steam-driven or phreatic eruptions that may take place.
On Nov. 1, PHIVOLCs recorded 84 volcanic quakes, which reduced to 31 the next day.
The first demarcation flag indicating the 4-km Permanent Danger Zone was recently installed in Barangay Biak na Bato in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, to enhance community safety, in the event of a Mt. Kanlaon volcanic alert escalation.
Procurement for additional materials continues, plans are in place to install more flags in the coming months to further delineate the danger zone, according to the Office of Civil Defense 6.
The Protected Area Management Board of the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park passed a resolution concurring the move of Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council 6 to declare the 4km PDZ set by PHIVOLCS in Mt. Kanlaon as a “Strict Protection Zone.”
While farming within the 4km PDZ will be allowed, Raul Fernandez, regional director of the Office of the Civil Defense 6, said the building of permanent structures is prohibited.
Fernandez also encouraged the planting of fruit bearing trees along the slope of the volcano. (Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star)