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MANILA, Philippines — Ashfall has affected 60 barangays surrounding Mt. Kanlaon, and yet, yesterday’s volcanic eruption is not yet “the bigger one” that is being anticipated, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
Science and research analyst Ferly Sianson, who is based at the Phivolcs station in La Carlota, described the volcano’s activity yesterday as a minor explosive eruption.
Two minor explosive eruptions also took place at Mt. Kanlaon on June 3 and Dec. 9 last year.
Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol warned of possible short-lived or stronger explosive eruptions in the coming days, describing them as “highly violent and powerful,” driven by a sudden release of gas and pressure along with ash and pyroclastic currents.
The explosive eruption occurred from 5:51 a.m. to 6:47 a.m. yesterday, producing a voluminous bent plume approximately 4,000 meters tall that drifted southwest. Mt. Kanlaon is currently under Alert Level 3.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines issued a Notice to Airmen to avoid flights near Mt. Kanlaon, with vertical limits from the surface up to 22,000 feet. The NOTAM will be in effect from April 8, 8:20 a.m. until April 9, 5:51 a.m.
Flight operators were advised to avoid flying near the volcano due to the potential hazards posed by volcanic ash with seismic and infrasound signals.
Meanwhile, Sianson reported that pyroclastic density currents also descended the slopes on the general southern edifice of Kanlaon.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council of Negros Occidental reported light to heavy ashfall in 24 barangays of La Carlota City, La Castellana, Pontevedra and Bago City.
Sulfuric smell was also reported in four barangays of Bago City and La Castellana, according to the Negros Occidental PDRRMC.
Grassfire was also reported at the eastern upper slopes of Kanlaon that was ignited by superheated ballistic fragments that were thrown out from the crater by the explosive eruption.
Although yesterday’s eruption was primarily phreatic – caused by steam-driven explosions – Bacolcol warned that a magmatic eruption, which involves lava emission, is also possible.
He noted that Mt. Kanlaon’s last magmatic eruption occurred in 1902.
“We’re watching closely Kanlaon Volcano,” he said, adding that this is the first time the agency has raised the alert level to 3 for the volcano, signifying increased magmatic activity.
Phivolcs is currently maintaining Alert Level 3 but may raise it to Level 4 if signs of a hazardous magmatic eruption increase. This would expand the danger zone from the current six-kilometer radius to 10 kilometers.
Pre-emptive evacuation
According to the Office of Civil Defense, over 8,000 residents living near Mt. Kanlaon have been pre-emptively evacuated.
Task Force Kanlaon said safety measures have been put in place with response teams on standby following yesterday’s eruption.
Reports from the OCD said those evacuated are now staying in at least 22 different evacuation centers as of Tuesday morning.
As of yesterday, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported that there are 4,319 families, composed of 13,959 individuals, still inside and outside evacuation centers.
Personnel of the Sugar Regulatory Administration research facility in Brgy. La Granja, La Carlota City were also evacuated due to the ashfall.
La Castellana Mayor Alme Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan prohibited the entry of residents, even during the allowable 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. window time, to the extended six-kilometer permanent danger zone, as a result of Kanlaon’s activity.
“We were prepared for the eruption. The families within the four to six kilometers were already evacuated during the previous eruption last December,” John De Asis, a rescue official in La Castellana told AFP.
“Right now we are just monitoring which villages will be affected by the ashfall,” he said.
Channel Nicor, 22, said she was waiting for a bus to take her to school when the eruption struck.
“The sound seemed like a big rock had fallen from a high place, then I looked up and saw the (ash cloud) getting bigger and bigger from the volcano,” she told AFP.
“When I saw the ash of course I felt nervous, but not as nervous as the previous eruption, because this time we know what to do,” she said.
While Bacolod City remains unaffected by the ashfall, Mayor Alfredo Benitez announced yesterday that they are ready to assist those affected by the eruption.
No classes
Classes in all levels were suspended in the cities of La Carlota and Bago, La Castellana, Pontevedra and Isabela, Negros Occidental.
As of last month, thousands of students in Western and Central Visayas have yet to return to schools for onsite classes as the regions continue to reel from the impact of Kanlaon’s eruption in December, according to the Department of Education.
DepEd’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service said that as of March 5, 11 schools are still being used as evacuation centers – affecting 11,177 students and 441 faculty and school personnel.
Basic needs
Meanwhile, rationing of drinking water is now ongoing in La Carlota City, especially in the barangays of Yubo and San Miguel, carried out by the local government, in tandem with the Bureau of Fire Protection, according to Junnie Martin Torrefranca, local disaster risk reduction management officer.
The Philippine Red Cross Negros Occidental-Bacolod City Chapter, in coordination with its La Carlota City branch, has deployed its water tanker and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) team to deliver clean and safe water to residents of Brgy. Ara-al in La Carlota City.
In addition to water delivery, PRC volunteers and staff have distributed jerry cans for safe water storage, along with face masks to help protect the community from the health hazards of ashfall.
Red Cross 143 volunteers on the ground reported that roads in the area are heavily blanketed with ash.
President Marcos has ordered concerned government agencies to ensure uninterrupted assistance to residents affected by the volcanic eruption.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said DSWD field offices in Western and Central Visayas are closely coordinating with affected local government units, with food packs and non-food items provided to affected individuals.
The Palace official, meanwhile, said Malacañang will review the request of local executives for additional funding for response efforts.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said over 250,000 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) were prepositioned in the warehouses of DSWD’s Field Office 6 in Western Visayas and 7 in Central Visayas ahead of the ongoing explosive eruption.
“As I speak, our field offices in Western and Central Visayas are closely coordinating with affected local government units so we can get real-time updates on the status of affected families and their need for more provisions of family food packs and non-food items,” Gatchalian said yesterday.
Since the explosive eruption last Dec. 9, Gatchalian said the agency has been delivering bulks of FFPs to the LGUs in Regions 6 and 7.
“We expect the numbers of evacuees may spike again, but we are ready. Our nearby warehouses are capacitated. In fact, apart from the more than 100,000 FFPs in Negros Island, we have over 2.5 million boxes of FFPs prepositioned in other warehouses across the country which we can tap anytime for our relief response,” Gatchalian said.
Apart from FFPs, the agency also has P865.4 million worth of non-food items such as kitchen kit, family kit, sleeping kit, hygiene kit and laminated sacks, among other relief items. — Christine Boton, Rudy Santos, Michael Punongbayan, Neil Jayson Servallos, Helen Flores, Rhodina Villanueva, Jose Rodel Clapano
