Negros Occidental — More than 25,000 residents have been displaced across seven localities in Negros Occidental since the explosive eruption of Mount Kanlaon on Tuesday morning.
As of this writing, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) reported 8,031 affected families or 25,213 individuals from 23 barangays in Bago City, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, La Carlota City, Murcia, San Carlos City, and Pontevedra.
A total of 14 evacuation centers are currently 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 P109.4 million, covering food packs, water, face masks, and other essential relief goods.
Mount Kanlaon remains under Alert Level 3 (high level of volcanic unrest) following the April 8 eruption, which lasted nearly an hour.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (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.
Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Western Visayas Director Raul Fernandez stressed they remain in close coordination with Phivolcs.
“We are prepared if this reaches Alert Level 4… Our LGUs have emergency plans in place, and the province has identified partner LGUs who are not affected and are willing to assist in case of further escalation,” Fernandez said.
He 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.
Though no rainfall is forecast, authorities are preparing for the possibility of lahar flow, which could be triggered by sudden heavy rains mixing with volcanic debris.