ILOILO – In case of a potential eruption at Mount Kanlaon, the government is poised to augment relief assistance.
As part of preparedness measures, approximately P147.6 million has been allocated in relief resources specifically for response activities.
The budget include P3 million in standby funds, with the remaining P144.85 million earmarked for the cost of food and non-food items, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6.
The prepared stockpile includes 37,868 family food packs and 15,170 various non-food items, such as family kits, sleeping kits, hygiene kits, and kitchen kits.
The Disaster Response Management Division has already prepositioned these items at strategic locations including La Castellana, Negros Occidental, which had previously experienced the highest number of affected families during the Mount Kanlaon eruption on June 3, 2024.
Atty. Carmelo Nochete, the regional director of DSWD, assured readiness, stating, “We are prepared to immediately respond to the needs of the affected families due to the recently observed unrest of Mt. Kanlaon.”
In addition to resource allocation, DSWD-6 has been actively coordinating with the Emergency Operations Center of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) to monitor the situation and synchronize response actions.
The agency’s quick response team in Negros Occidental remains on standby, ready for deployment.
Further efforts include the continuous monitoring of Mount Kanlaon advisories, and the maintenance of communication with local government units and emergency teams through various messaging platforms.
The DSWD-6’s Emergency Operation Center is also on alert for activation at any moment.
Too, it has evaluated the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City, which is designated as the main evacuation center for several localities including La Castellana, La Carlota, Bago City, San Carlos City, and Moises Padilla, should the volcanic activity escalate.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6 is advising residents near Mount Kanlaon to prepare for potential volcanic activities following a spike in seismic activity.
Director Raul Fernandez issued the warning in response to an advisory from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), which noted increased volcanic tremors since Monday night.
He emphasized compliance with evacuation orders if necessary.
PHIVOLCS reported 288 volcano-tectonic earthquakes since 8 p.m. on September 9, indicating that magma is potentially moving towards the surface.
These events, occurring at depths of zero to nine kilometers beneath the volcano’s northeastern flanks, have prompted the institution to maintain Alert Level 2 over Kanlaon, signalling increasing unrest that may lead to eruption.
Kanlaon is an active stratovolcano and the highest mountain on the island of Negros, as well as the highest peak in the Visayas, with an elevation of 2,465 meters (8,087 feet) above sea level.
Just this June, it erupted for some six minutes based on the seismic record and was preceded by a relatively strong volcano-tectonic earthquake.
The other day, residents within the four-kilometer-radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ), have been instructed to avoid entry and be vigilant./PN
