Negros Oriental town braces for evacuees fleeing Kanlaon

Mt. Kanlaon on Negros Island —Photo courtesy of Jerick Conde Ricaplaza

BACOLOD CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines — The town of Vallehermoso in Negros Oriental has been placed under a state of calamity as local officials start preparing to manage the expected influx of evacuees once the situation following the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon worsened.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Wednesday said a calamity status on Vallehermoso would facilitate the appropriate and effective management of evacuees.

READ: Kanlaon Volcano spews 300-meter ash plume on Christmas Day

The municipal council convened on Dec. 20 to address the imminent threat posed by the ongoing magmatic activity of Mt. Kanlaon. It cited the significant social disruptions expected from a possible influx of internally displaced persons should government volcanologists raise the alert level on Mt. Kanlaon to 4 (hazardous eruption imminent).

The council resolution highlighted Vallehermoso’s strategic location as it is the nearest “emergency haven” to Canlaon City, making it a critical site for receiving and accommodating evacuees during a crisis arising from a volcanic eruption.

Canlaon City in Negros Oriental has been under a state of calamity since June 4, a day after the volcano first erupted this year.

The province of Negros Occidental, the cities of La Carlota and Bago, and the town of La Castellana are also under a state of calamity following Mt. Kanlaon’s second eruption on Dec. 9.

The Vallehermoso town council emphasized the need for proactive measures to manage the anticipated challenges effectively. The declaration underscores the commitment of the local government to prioritize the safety and well-being of residents while preparing for potential emergencies arising from volcanic activity, it said.

“As the situation develops, the municipality will continue to coordinate with relevant agencies to ensure a comprehensive disaster management strategy is in place,” the council said.

Mt. Kanlaon 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.

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Board Member Jose Benito Alonso spent Christmas Day visiting all 11 evacuation centers in La Carlota City and La Castellana, bringing Christmas treats to children and their families.

Ash emission

At 11:08 a.m. on Wednesday, Mt. Kanlaon again spewed ash, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

The volcano, according to Phivolcs monitoring, had seven ash emission events and 25 volcanic earthquakes and emitted 3,585 tons of sulfur from midnight on Tuesday to midnight on Wednesday.

The OCD said the Regional Task Force (RTF) Kanlaon was directed to notify the Department of Education to close all schools within the Kanlaon permanent danger zone (PDZ) to protect students from potential hazards.

The RTF would also inform local governments that no structures or residents should be allowed within the PDZ.

The OCD said current assessments suggested a high likelihood of more eruptions based on recorded sulfur dioxide emissions.