Bacolod City – The Office of the Civil Defense 6 has suggested the preemptive evacuation of residents within a six kilometer radius danger zone of Kanlaon volcano, where several barangays of four local government units of Negros Occidental are located.
Alert Level 2 prevails over Kanlaon volcano, but the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has raised the possibility that the alert level may increase, due to elevated volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions and volcanic tectonic (VT) earthquakes recorded over the past several days.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson disclosed over-the-weekend that OCD 6 suggested preemptive evacuations at the volcano danger zone of up to six kilometers in the municipalities of La Castellana, Bago City, San Carlos City, and La Carlota City.
Lacson said he was informed by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) that La Castellana already complied with the suggestion of OCD 6, while he expects that San Carlos will do so on its end.
While he has yet to get feedback from the cities of Bago and La Carlota, he said that their respective CDRRMCs are closely coordinating with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
PHIVOLCS logged 17 volcanic earthquakes over the past 24 hours, while sulfur dioxide emissions from Kanlaon Volcano exceeded 10,800 tons on September 13.
In Negros Oriental, a total of 145 families, composed of 423 individuals, have been evacuated from the barangays of Pula, Masulog, Malaiba, and Lumapao in Canlaon City.
Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas also ordered the implementation of a curfew, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day, which includes those staying in the evacuation centers, a liquor ban, and the mandatory wearing of face masks.
On the other hand, Lacson said the OCD 6 has recommended the use of Panaad Sports and Stadium in Bacolod City, as an evacuation center for La Castellana, La Carlota, Bago City, San Carlos City, and Moises Padilla residents, in case the ongoing unrest of Mt. Kanlaon escalates.
He said the Panaad Stadium will only be used in extreme cases, if there will be a major eruption of Kanlaon.
But we are hoping and praying that we don’t reach that stage, he added.
Lacson also said he was told by La Castellana Mayor Alme Rhummyla Nicor Mangilimutan that she prefers to house the displaced families in the town’s evacuation centers, for the meantime.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office VI reported that it has P144 million worth of food and non-food items available for Kanlaon response operations.
On the other hand, the municipal government of La Castellana also conducted a simulation exercise (SIMEX) as part of their preparations due to the ongoing unrest of Mt. Kanlaon, as recommended by DSWD.
Part of the SIMEX was revisiting the situation and lessons learned during June 3 phreatic explosion of Kanlaon volcano, in order to ensure smooth disaster response operations.
Lacson added that the Provincial Health Office is in standby mode. (Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star)