STILL RESTIVE Mt. Kanlaon on Negros Island is shown emitting a massive amount of ash on Monday morning, two weeks since its eruption on Dec. 9. —Photo courtesy of Jerick Conde Ricaplaza
BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines — Mt. Kanlaon on Negros Island again emitted volcanic ash on Monday, raising fears of dangerous lahar flow should heavy rains hit the area.
Mari Andylene Quintia, resident volcanologist of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology’s (Phivolcs) at the Kanlaon Volcano Observatory in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, said a dark plume roughly 1.2 kilometers tall was released from the summit of the volcano accompanied by low-frequency volcanic earthquakes starting at 11:45 a.m. Monday.
“Ash emission was ongoing and ashfall is expected to fall over communities of Negros Occidental northwest to the west of the volcano (which are Murcia town and Bago City),” Quintia said.
READ: Malacañang releases P130M for Mt. Kanlaon blast response
Before Monday’s ash emissions, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said there were already an estimated 3 million cubic meters of lahar deposits on the slopes of Mt. Kanlaon.
“The danger [is] there is major rain, which could bring down the lahar that would greatly affect the conditions in the area,” he said.
Lahar is a destructive mudflow made up of water, volcanic ash, rock fragments, and other materials that flow down the side of a volcano to communities below.
Lacson met with Office of Civil Defense officials on Monday morning, and they agreed to keep the danger zone at six kilometers.
“We are hoping that the situation in Kanlaon will really improve but on the other hand there is a really great possibility that lahar can start flowing down, especially if we have major rain in that area,” he said.
Still under Level 3
Phivolcs, in an advisory on Monday, reminded the public that Mt. Kanlaon remained alert level 3 (magmatic unrest), which was raised from level 2 when it erupted on Dec. 9.
“This means that there are increased chances for sudden and even stronger explosive eruptions to occur and endanger communities at risk with life-threatening volcanic hazards,” it added.
Local governments and disaster risk reduction councils, it said, must also vigilantly monitor weather conditions in case heavy rainfall occurs and generates lahars and sediment-laden streamflows in channels draining the southern flanks of the volcano.
“They are advised to prepare communities within the Phivolcs PDCs hazard map for potential evacuation in case unrest further escalates and hazardous worst-case explosive eruption becomes imminent,” Phivolcs said.
It said barangays of La Castellana and Canlaon City that have been impacted by PDCs as well as barangays downstream of these, especially those that have experienced lahars and muddy streamflows in June 2024, could be affected by channel-confined lahars in case of heavy rains.
Civil aviation authorities were instructed to advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit, as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft.
A month’s supply
Lacson said provincial government resources, especially for the food of the evacuees, are good for at least a month or at least until mid-January.
The provincial government bought portalets for the evacuation centers, liquified petroleum gas supply for the community kitchens and fuel for mobilization.
Lacson assured affected local governments, especially La Castellana, that the provincial government could take care of their evacuees for at least a month.
Asked if aid from Malacañang for Negros Occidental has arrived, Lacson said, “I will let you know once the provincial government issues a receipt that we received an amount.”
“We are expecting that this week,” he added.
President Marcos has allocated P130 million to help communities affected by the Dec. 9 eruption of Mt. Kanlaon, which straddles the cities of Bago, La Carlota, and San Carlos and the towns of Murcia and La Castellana in Negros Occidental and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental.