‘Evacuate now,’ Marcos urges residents near Kanlaon Volcano
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday implored those still unwilling to evacuate amid the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island to do so, stressing that their lives are more important than their properties.
Marcos made the pronouncement amid reports of residents near Kanlaon Volcano refusing to evacuate despite the danger its eruption continues to pose.
READ: Gov’t ready to assist families affected by Kanlaon eruption – Marcos
“Nakikiusap ako sa lahat, lalo na sa ayaw lumikas, na sumunod sa babala ng ating mga awtoridad,” said Marcos in a video message.
Article continues after this advertisement(I ask everyone, especially those who do not want to evacuate, to follow the warning of our authorities.)
Article continues after this advertisement“Mas mahalaga po ang buhay kaysa ari-arian,” he added.
(Life is more important than property.)
According to Marcos, over 45,000 have already been evacuated from Kanlaon Volcano’s 6-kilometer radius danger zone—barely half of the 84,000 total the government seeks to move out of harm.
Government response
Meanwhile, in the same video message, Marcos reiterated that the government is already taking the necessary actions to assist Filipinos affected by Kanlaon’s eruption.
The President said he has already ordered the Department of Budget and Management to release funds to help assist those affected by the eruption; the Department of Social Welfare and Development to assist those affected; and the Department of Health to address illnesses caused by volcanic ash.
READ: Thousands evacuated as Mt. Kanlaon erupts anew
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, and the Bureau of Fire Protection have also been placed on “high alert” in Negros Island.
“We will step up. We will level up. Any escalation in damages and destruction will be met with a stronger government response,” he said.
Marcos said the government had already prepared itself even before the eruption of the Kanlaon Volcano, with the disaster council and the Office of Civil Defense ready for the “worst-case scenario.”
This, he said, is the reason why “Task Force Kanlaon” was formed—to coordinate the appropriate responses based on the gravity of the volcano eruption.
Kanlaon Volcano erupted on Monday, Dec. 9, prompting state volcanologists to raise the alert level to 3, which indicates magmatic unrest.
The eruption produced a voluminous plume that rapidly rose to 3,000 meters above the vent and drifted west-southwest.