THE Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Monday urged local officials of Negros Occidental to reconsider their decision to allow the return of thousands of evacuees living outside the six-kilometer danger zone of the restive Kanlaon Volcano.
OCD Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno’s statement came after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) disclosed last Saturday that it noticed an increased ground deformation at the volcano.
Phivolcs said the shallow magma conduit of the volcano may be undergoing “pressurization that may lead to an (explosive) eruption similar to the December 9, 2024 event.”
That eruption prompted the Phivolcs to raise the volcano’s alert status to Level 3 (magmatic unrest), from Alert Level 2 (increasing unrest).
The agency also extended the danger zone from four kilometers to six kilometers, prompting the evacuation of residents within the danger zone. Many residents outside the danger zone also evacuated due to fear for their safety.
Last week, local officials decided to allow some 4,000 evacuees living outside the six-kilometer danger zone, specifically in Bago and La Carlota cities, to return home.
In a statement on Sunday afternoon, Nepomuceno said: “We must take anticipatory actions to prepare for the worst-case scenario of a more violent eruption. Achieving zero casualties is our utmost priority.”
“We are constrained to sound the alarm and urge local officials to reassess this decision. The safety of our citizens must come first,” added Nepomuceno.
Nepomuceno, who is also the executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, reiterated the need to ensure the safety of people.
“We are strongly concerned about the potential for pyroclastic density currents traveling at speeds of 30 to 600 kilometers per hour; no resident in the danger zone can escape this,” said Nepomuceno.
“Lives are far more important than properties and livelihoods,” he added.
He said residents, including those outside the six-kilometer danger zone, must treat seriously the ground deformation of Kanlaon Volcano.
“We want no casualties in the event of an eruption,” said Nepomuceno.
The official also warned residents against going inside the volcano’s danger zone.
“No responders will attempt to get inside the danger zones to execute rescue operations should an eruption occur. It is crucial for everyone’s safety to evacuate immediately,” he said.
As of Sunday, the NDRRMC said 12,279 families or 46,898 individuals have been affected by the continuing unrest of Kanlaon.
Of the number, 10,020 families or 31,225 individuals have been displaced. However, as of Monday, the number was already down to 5,567 families or 17,579 individuals.