By ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
THE CURRENT Kanlaon crisis on Negros Island is getting tense and intriguing.
The move allowing over 4,000 evacuees in La Castellana town and Bago City to go home amid the continuing threat posed by the restive volcano has created a “fuss”. More so when Task Force Kanlaon (TFK) chief, Raul Fernandez, made it clear himself that he disagreed with such a move.
Fernandez was loud and clear that there is still imminent danger – Kanlaon may have a “one time, big time” eruption anytime.
His contention is scientifically-based on the warning from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) that daily volcanic quakes plus notable decrease in carbon dioxide level are indicators that magma within the volcano is rising.
But more than 2,500 out of 6,723 evacuees in La Castellana already went home. In Bago, more than 120 evacuee families followed suit. Gov. Bong Lacson gave leeway to both mayors Mhai-Mhai Nicor-Mangilimutan and Nicholas Yulo of La Cadtellana and Bago, respectively, to decide what’s the best for their evacuees.
La Carlota’s Mayor Rex Jalando-on, on the other hand, heeded Fernandez’s advice. He ordered a status quo for their evacuees – to remain in evacuation centers.
Governor Lacson said the decision letting evacuees go home was based on the six-kilometer permanent danger zone. Those living outside the six-kilometer radius were allowed to leave evacuation centers.
Now, Fernandez is stressing accountability. He said it will be chaotic and tedious to again evacuate multitudes of people, including those who were allowed to go home, if the “one time, big time” eruption of Kanlaon happens. He cited Phivolcs’ projection of either effusive or explosive eruption, or pyroclastic flow.
Effusive eruption is gentle eruption but still with free-flowing magma. On the other hand, explosive eruption is violent, with huge volumes of magma spilling from the mouth of the volcano.
Pyrcolastic flow, meanwhile, is the fast-moving and extremely dangerous streaming of hot gas, ash and volcanic matters from the volcano.
If pyroclastic flow happens, based on the current projection in Kanlaon, Fernandez said it would have a speed of 30 to 600 kilometers per hour – a speed that no one and nothing could ever outrun.
TFK has already identified eight evacuation centers for an estimated 124,000 residents from 13 localities both from Negros Occidental and Oriental. These include the Panaad Park & Stadium in Bacolod City; Himamaylan, Kabankalan, Silay and Talisay in the Occidental; and Ayungon, Vallehermoso and Guihulngan in the Oriental.
Of the eight identified sites, Himamaylan in Occidental and Vallehermoso in Oriental will be called “Tent Cities”.
TFK then proposed a P15.3-billion budget for a 30-day disaster response just for this projected worst Kanlaon eruption.
Truly, the taskforce is seriously preparing for a bigger eruption of Kanlaon.
If what Fernandez fears happens, who will assume the responsibility…the accountability? This seems to be leading to a political debacle in Negros Occidental.
I remembered when Super Typhoon “Sendong” hit Cagayan de Oro in 2013. It caused a political debacle that ultimately changed the political landscape in the “City of Golden Friendship”.
In 2021, super typhoon “Odette” also caused political upheaval in Kabankalan City.
Now, with the Kanlaon crisis, will there be political debacle in the province?
Who will be “deleted” in Negros Occidental’s political script?
So suspenseful…so intense!
Abangan!
