In light of the escalating threats posed by Mount Kanlaon, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Sunday said the Canlaon City local government unit (LGU) is taking measures to prepare residents for a potential Alert Level 4 warning.
In the case of an Alert Level 4 declaration, the LGU said it has developed OPLAN EXODUS, a disaster response plan aimed at educating residents, particularly those in high-risk areas, about evacuation procedures.
A key component of this initiative is the intensified outreach to internally displaced persons sheltered outside designated evacuation centers, ensuring their comprehensive information and preparedness for any potential emergencies.
Camp managers are entrusted with organizing essential evacuation items, such as emergency kits and “go bags” while facilitating discussions at home to ensure that all family members are fully cognizant of the evacuation procedures.
The LGU has also formalized a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with neighboring localities—Vallehermoso, Guihulngan City, La Libertad, and Ayungon—designated as potential evacuation sites.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) meanwhile reported an ash emission activity reaching 500 meters and lasting for 10 minutes at Kanlaon in Negros Island on Sunday.
Alert Level 3 remains hoisted over Kanlaon Volcano.
It recorded 14 volcanic earthquakes, including two weak tremors, from 50 minutes to one hour and 57 minutes from Jan. 11 to Jan. 12 at 12 a.m. The ash emission produced 3,511 tons of sulfur dioxide on Saturday.
Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol, in an interview over dzBB, said: “We have noticed a ground deformation at the southeastern side. There is inflation. And if you look at our sulfur dioxide (emission), it suddenly decreased.”
Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian said he directed its Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) to work double time in augmenting the stockpiles of family food packs in Western Visayas and Central Visayas.
The goal of the DRMG-National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau is to preposition 100,000 boxes of family food packs in Negros Island, he said.
Gatchalian instructed the DRMG-NRLMB officials to make sure that by Jan. 13, 40,000 boxes of food packs have been delivered to Negros Oriental and another 40,000 packs to Negros Occidental. Rio Araja
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Canlaon City prepares for possible Alert Level 4 on Kanlaon”