NEGROS OCCIDENTAL—Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island had a moderately explosive eruption early Tuesday morning, sending a plume of ash 4,000 meters into the sky, displacing at least 8,000 residents and prompting the suspension of onsite classes in over 200 schools.
In a Facebook post, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the volcano’s eruption started at 5:51 a.m.
Videos posted on social media showed a wide, billowing plume of smoke slowly stretching into the sky.
Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said further eruptions and lava flow may occur in Kanlaon.
“This can still be followed by similar short-lived explosive eruptions or even stronger eruptions…A lava flow is a possibility. This is one of the scenarios we are looking at,” he added.
Kanlaon Volcano, one of 24 active volcanoes in the Southeast Asian nation, last erupted in December 2024, prompting the evacuation of surrounding villages.
Alert Level 3 remains in effect over Kanlaon, Phivolcs said.
“We were prepared for the eruption. The families within the 4 to 6 kilometres were already evacuated during the previous eruption last December,” John De Asis, a rescue official in Negros Occidental province’s La Castellana municipality, told Agence France Presse.
“Right now, we are just monitoring which villages will be affected by the ashfall.”
Channel Nicor, 22, said she was waiting for a bus to take her to school when the eruption struck.
“The sound seemed like a big rock had fallen from a high place, then I looked up and saw the (ash cloud) getting bigger and bigger from the volcano,” she said.
“When I saw the ash of course I felt nervous, but not as nervous as the previous eruption, because this time we know what to do.”
Yesterday’s eruption impacted at least 15 barangays in Negros Occidental, prompting widespread public health advisories and emergency responses across Western Visayas.
In La Carlota City, 12 barangays—Ara-al, Yubo, San Miguel, Haguimit, La Granja, Cubay, Nagasi, Balabag, RSB (Roberto S. Benedicto) and Poblacion I, II, and III—reported ashfall events, with three more barangays affected in Bago City namely Mailum, Ilijan, and Binubuhan.
In Iloilo, Provincial DRRM Office chief Ret. Col. Cornelio Salinas reminded residents to wear face masks and limit outdoor exposure.
“If you don’t have to go out, stay indoors for your safety. We are coordinating with all possible affected municipalities and continuously monitoring their conditions,” Salinas said.
Malacañang said the national government stands ready to assist local government units affected by the latest eruption of Kanlaon volcano.
“We are assessing the situation and if needed, we will immediately provide whatever resourced needed by our LGUs in Negros Island,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.
Almost 8,000 people moved to different evacuation sites in Negros Occidental, according to Task Force Kanlaon chief Raul Fernandez from the Office of Civil Defense.
Fernandez said these individuals are currently taking shelter in 22 evacuation centers.
Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian assured the public the agency is ready to dispatch family food packs and other needed aid to families affected by the explosion.
The DSWD chief said over 250,000 boxes of family food packs were prepositioned in the warehouses of agency’s field offices in Western Visayas and Central Visayas.
“We expect the numbers of evacuees may spike again, but we are ready. Our nearby warehouses are capacitated. In fact, apart from the more than 100,000 FFPs in Negros Island, we have over 2.5 million boxes of FFPs prepositioned in other warehouses across the country which we can tap anytime for our relief response,” Gatchalian said.
Apart from FFPs, the agency also has P865,447,008-worth of non-food items such as kitchen kits, family kits, sleeping kits, hygiene kits, and laminated sacks, among other relief items.
Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. affirmed military readiness in responding to the ongoing threats following the latest volcanic eruption.
In his visit to headquarters of the 303rd Infantry Brigade at Camp Gerona in Murcia, Negros Oriental, Brawner underscored the military’s continued vigilance and readiness to swiftly mobilize. With AFP