BACOLOD CITY – As activity at the Kanlaon Volcano continues to increase, the Office of Civil Defense – Negros Island Region has discouraged residents from visiting their farms inside the 4-kilometer permanent danger zone.
The warning follows reports received by the OCD-NIR that some farmers in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, were given a window from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to visit and attend to their agricultural farms which are located within the Kanlaon Volcano danger zone, where access is restricted during Alert Level 2.
Donato Sermeno, OCD regional director for Negros Island Region, said the entry may have been allowed while Kanlaon Volcano is under a stable condition, for humanitarian considerations.
Sermeno, however, said Kanlaon Volcano is now showing signs of increasing activity.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded 102 volcanic quakes anew, including two volcanic tremors, as of midnight of April 14, which lasted up to 66 minutes. At the same time, another ash emission also took place recently, generating a grayish plume that rose 600 meters above the summit crater before drifting southwest.
Sermeno also called on local disaster councils to continue their vigilance due to the volcano’s heightened activity.
Alert Level 2 remains hoisted over Mt. Kanlaon.
The checkpoints in all exit and entry points of Kanlaon Volcano were dismantled after the alert level was downgraded. (Gilbert Bayoran via tvds photo by tvds)