More than 25,000 residents have been displaced across seven localities in Negros Occidental following the explosive eruption of Mount Kanlaon on the morning of April 8, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) said.
The PDRRMC also reported that the 8,031 affected families came from 23 barangays in Bago City, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, La Carlota City, Murcia, San Carlos City, and Pontevedra.
Currently, 14 evacuation centers are open, housing 1,770 families or 5,673 individuals.
The combined humanitarian assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), local government units (LGUs), and non-government organizations (NGOs) has reached ₱109.4 million, covering food packs, water, face masks, and other essential relief goods.
Mount Kanlaon remains under Alert Level 3 (Magmatic Unrest) despite the April 8 eruption, which lasted nearly an hour. According to PHIVOLCS, no escalation to Alert Level 4 has been declared, but residents within the 6-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone are still being urged to evacuate due to the threat of further eruptions.
Within 24 hours of the initial blast, PHIVOLCS recorded 15 volcanic earthquakes, 1 volcanic tremor, 1 ash emission, and a sulfur dioxide flux reaching 5,011 tons per day.
Office of Civil Defense-Western Visayas Director Raul Fernandez stressed that they remain in close coordination with PHIVOLCS.
Fernandez confirmed the eruption was phreatic, caused by pressure build-up beneath the volcano. The volcano’s crater was covered with thick ash deposits, contributing to the volume of ash expelled.
The Department of Tourism – Western Visayas has also called on tourism officers and stakeholders near Mount Kanlaon to activate emergency units to assist tourists affected by the eruption.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) meanwhile anticipates an increase in evacuees due to the heavy ashfall.
“We are monitoring residents in nearby areas in Bago, Canlaon, La Carlota, La Castellana, and even San Carlos,” the OCD said.
The OCD stated on Tuesday that it is preparing for the possibility of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raising the alert level for Kanlaon Volcano from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 4.
Reports indicated that several areas in La Castellana were covered in ash, with some roads experiencing poor visibility as residents worked to clean the ash from their homes.
The OCD stated that local government units have been effectively responding, deploying water filtration units and water trucks to assist those affected.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Wednesday sent out another Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) advising airmen to avoid flying near Mount Kanlaon in Negros Island due to a phreatic eruption.
