BACOLOD, Philippines – Local government units (LGUs) in Negros Island, particularly those in areas located near the slopes of Kanlaon Volcano, are getting ready for another possible eruption.
This comes as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology observed an increase in the number of volcano-tectonic earthquakes at Kanlaon, which remains under Alert Level 2.
The volcano’s last eruption was on June 3.
La Castellana Mayor Alme Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan told Rappler on Tuesday, September 10, that she directed municipal disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) officers to conduct an information drive in all of their 13 barangays.
“We need to act early by informing the people what’s really happening now in Kanlaon, and the possible actions to be executed in case of another eruption,” she said.
The mayor also suspended classes in all levels in the town of La Castellana starting noontime on Tuesday.
La Castellana was the worst-hit area in Negros Occidental during the June eruption.
It had more than 20,000 affected residents from the barangays of Masulog, Cabagna-an, Sag-ang, Biak na Bato, Mansalanao, Cabacungan, Puso, and Manghanoy.
Aside from La Castellana, other localities in Negros Occidental that were affected by the June eruption were the cities of La Carlota and Bago, and the municipalities of Moises Padilla, Isabela, Pulupandan, Valladolid, and San Enrique.
In Negros Oriental, Canlaon City was also hit by the June eruption, prompting almost 21,000 people from the barangays of Masulog, Malaiba, Lumapao, Linothangan, and Pula to evacuate.
With Kanlaon unrest increasing, Canlaon City Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas instructed local authorities to be on alert.
Meanwhile, San Carlos City in Negros Occidental, which has two barangays also at the foot of Kanlaon — Quezon and Codcod — has already sent two teams to these villages.
San Carlos City DRRM Officer Joe Recalex Alingasa Jr. told Rappler on Tuesday that they have emergency systems in place, such as those for communication, evacuation, and relief.
For its residents, San Carlos City also decided to expand the 4-kilometer-radius permanent danger zone around the volcano to 6 kilometers. Activities are prohibited within the PDZ.
Raul Fernandez, Western Visayas director of the Office of Civil Defense, said the OCD has instructed affected LGUs to activate their respective incident management teams (IMTs).
Members of the Western Visayas IMT are also on alert for possible deployment to concerned areas. – Rappler.com