BY IME SORNITO & MAE SINGUAY
ILOILO City – Local government units (LGUs) in Panay and Guimaras islands have been placed on heightened alert following the explosive eruption of Mount Kanlaon early Tuesday morning, April 8, in nearby Negros Island.
The eruption, which occurred at 5:51 a.m., has prompted the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6 to issue an urgent advisory calling on LGUs — particularly those in coastal areas facing Negros Island — to prepare for possible ashfall and respond swiftly to any volcanic hazards.
OCD-6 director Raul Fernandez, who also heads the Regional Task Force Kanlaon, specifically instructed LGUs to ready facemasks for immediate distribution in communities likely to be affected.
Residents have been urged to stay indoors and take necessary precautions against ash inhalation, which can cause respiratory issues.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the eruption produced a dense ash plume approximately 4,000 meters high, drifting southwest, and pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) have been observed descending the volcano’s southern slopes. Ashfall has already been reported in barangays Roberto Salas Benedicto, La Granja, Nagasi, Yubo, Ara-al, San Miguel, and Cubay in La Carlota City; barangays Mailum, Ilijan, and Binubuhan in Bago City; and barangays Sag-ang and Mansalanao in La Castellana in Negros Occidental.
Sulfurous fumes were also experienced strongly in Barangay Cubay and faintly as far as the province’s Hinigaran town.
In response to the hazard to aviation, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), restricting flights within a 22,000-foot altitude near the volcano until April 9.
Meanwhile, a grassfire was ongoing at around 2 p.m. yesterday at the eastern upper slopes of Kanlaon.
Phivolcs said it was ignited by superheated ballistic fragments that were thrown out of the crater by the explosive eruption.
Schools Shift to Alternative Learning
The eruption has also disrupted educational activities in Negros Occidental.
Based on data from the Department of Education (DepEd) Region 6, three Schools Division Offices (SDOs) — La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, and San Carlos City — suspended in-person classes affecting 70 schools and 40,649 learners.
Schools have shifted to alternative delivery modes to ensure safety.
Relief on Standby
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) secretary Rex Gatchalian assured the public that 250,000 family food packs (FFPs) are prepositioned and ready for distribution across the Visayas, particularly in DSWD Regions 6 and 7.
The Disaster Response Management Division is also monitoring internally displaced persons (IDPs) and assessing additional needs.
As of April 3, the DSWD recorded 24,891 individuals or 7,900 families affected by the ongoing volcanic unrest in 22 barangays across Bago City, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, La Carlota City, Murcia, San Carlos City, and Pontevedra in Negros Island.
Humanitarian assistance already extended by DSWD, LGUs, and NGOs amounts to P106.2 million, with remaining resources valued at P159.4 million, including P3 million in standby funds.
Meanwhile, Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) administrator Pablo Luis Azcona yesterday ordered the evacuation of their employees at the research facility in La Granja, La Carlota City, with a skeleton crew left behind to secure the facility.
They also activated their Disaster Response Team (DRT) headed by SRA Board Member David Sanson.
“All our vehicles are ready to be deployed when requested by the LGUs. We have regrouped our disaster response teams and we are closely monitoring the situation in Mount Kanlaon. We have relief supplies in place if and when needed. We have also allocated some P4 million for other emergency supplies,” Sanson said.
Continued Volcanic Threat
Phivolcs has raised Alert Level 3 for Kanlaon Volcano, indicating magmatic unrest and the possibility of more explosive eruptions.
Since June 2024, the volcano has shown increased seismic activity. The current eruption is part of a series of disturbances following its December 2024 explosion, which also generated a major ash plume.
Mount Kanlaon, rising 2,465 meters above sea level, is the tallest peak in the Visayas and among the country’s most active volcanoes, with more than 30 recorded eruptions since 1819. It straddles Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental and lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Its most violent eruption in recent history occurred in August 1996, when a sudden explosion killed three climbers and injured 18 others.
During its eruption on December 9, 2024 at 3:03 p.m., Kanlaon released a massive ash plume and triggering pyroclastic flows./PN
