Bacolod City – Local government units surrounding Kanlaon volcano, along with government agencies, are bracing for a possible magmatic eruption, as reported by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, following the continuing restiveness of the volcano.
As of September 12, a total of 145 families, composed of 423 individuals, have been evacuated in barangays of Pula, Masulog, Malaiba and Lumapao in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental.
While some families have opted to return home after signing waivers, Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas stressed the importance of the mandatory evacuation, and provided those individuals with comprehensive information on the risks involved.
Cardenas also ordered the implementation of a curfew, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day, which includes staying in the evacuation centers, a liquor ban, and the mandatory wearing of face masks.
In an issued advisory on Sept. 12, PHIVOLCS logged 79 volcanic quakes within a 24 hour period, and reported that the volcano spewed 11,556 tons per day of sulfur dioxide, the highest emission of SO2 recorded since instrumental gas monitoring started.
Alert Level 2 still prevails at Kanlaon volcano, according to Engr. Mari Andylene Quintia, resident volcanologist of the Kanlaon Volcano Observatory in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental.
If the parameters being monitored escalate, Quintia said it could lead to an eruption. At the same time, she stressed that there should be no human activity within the four kilometer danger zone, which may be extended to six kilometers if Alert Level 3 is declared.
Classes are still suspended in the villages located the foot of the restive volcano, in La Castellana in Negros Occidental, and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental.
Mayor Alme Rhummyla Nicor Mangilimutan disclosed yesterday that she already activated the La Castellana Incident Management Team, prepares the evacuation centers to accommodate displaced families, sought help from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and provincial government of Negros Occidental.
Mangilimutan also deployed Bantay Bukid members to ensure that there will be no entry to the 4 kilometer permanent danger zone.
She urged her constituents to remain calm and desist from posting fake news on social media.
The DSWD Field Office 6 has prepositioned 32,990 boxes of family food packs in Bacolod City, and in the different warehouses throughout Negros Occidental, on top of non-food items, such as hygiene, family, cooking, and sleeping kits, as well as modular tents.
In Negros Oriental, about 14,000 family food packs are also stored at a Dumaguete City warehouse, with another 3,400 boxes in agency’s storage facility in Vallehermoso town. We are prepared to immediately respond to the needs of affected families, due to the recent observed unrest of Mt. Kanlaon, said DSWD Field Office 6 director Carmelo Nochete.
The Office of the Protected Area Superintendent of Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park advised all local government units within the jurisdiction of MKNP to prepare an evacuation area for livestock.
All activities are strictly prohibited within the 4 to 6 kilometer danger zone and in all eco-tourism sites within the MKNP area of jurisdiction, the advisory added.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines also issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for flights near Kanlaon volcano, with vertical limits from the surface to 17,000 feet. (Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star)