ALMOST 800 persons have been evacuated following the “explosive eruption” of Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island on Monday night, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.
President Marcos Jr. yesterday assured the affected communities of assistance from government as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distributed P48.84 million worth of food and non-food relief items to those affected.
The NDRRMC, in a situation report, said 796 individuals (170 families) are from eight barangays in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.
It said 149 families or 685 individuals are staying inside eight evacuation centers while the rest are staying with relatives and friends.
The Office of Civil Defense, the NDRRMC’s implementing arm, reported the evacuation on Monday night. The OCD it was closely coordinating with counterparts in the Western Visayas and Central Visayas regions for response operations.
“We are receiving reports of evacuation activities in Negros Occidental. Response teams are being deployed in the affected areas to move the residents to safe places,” the OCD said in a statement.
Kanlaon Volcano went on “explosive eruption” at 6:51 p.m. last Monday, prompting the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to raise the volcano’s alert status to Alert Level 2 (increasing unrest), from Alert Level 1 (abnormal).
Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol said no similar eruption occurred after last Monday’s incident.
“Hopefully there won’t be a repeat but we are closely monitoring the activity of Kanlaon Volcano,” he said.
Bacolcol said Phivolcs recorded 43 volcanic earthquakes from 12 a.m. Monday to 12 a.m. yesterday.
Bacolcol said Phivolcs is looking at three scenarios after Kanlaon’s eruption, including phreatic and short-lived eruptions similar to last Monday’s event.
“If this happens, we will maintain the Alert Level 2 until such time our monitoring parameters would significantly change,” he said.
Another scenario, he said, is the possibility of magmatic eruption. If it happens, “we will raise the alert level, from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 3.”
The third scenario is a decline of activities in the next two weeks. If this occurs, Bacolcol said, the volcano will be placed under Alert Level 1.
Bacolcol reiterated Phivolcs’ reminder to the public against entering the four-kilometer permanent danger zone “to minimize risk from sudden explosion like what happened yesterday (Monday) and possible rockfall events and landslides.”
Phivolcs is monitoring 24 active volcanos in the country, including Kanlaon. The others are Mayon Volcano in Albay, Taal Volcano in Batangas, and Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon, all of which are also under Alert Level 1.
STATE OF CALAMITY
The Canlaon City Council yesterday passed a resolution placing the city under a state of calamity.
In the resolution, the council said the eruption affected the “economic living condition of the people” of the agricultural city, specifically the farmers.
The President, in a video message, said the government assistance included sleeping kits distributed in La Castellana in Negros Occidental while some 13,000 family food packs have been prepositioned in Negros Island.
He said also on standby are air assets for immediate response.
The military’s Visayas Command (Viscom) said 464 of its personnel have been placed on “standby alert” for disaster response.
Viscom spokesman Lt. Col. Isagani Galorio said Viscom units are in close coordination with local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (DRRMCs) “to ensure a swift and efficient response.”
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian flew to Canlaon City and led the distribution of aid, together with Negros Oriental officials.
At least 72,235 boxes of prepositioned food packs are at the DSWD Western Visayas and Central Visayas field offices.
Speaker Martin Romualdez said he is coordinating with the DSWD and the Department of Labor and Employment to facilitate the release of P20 million each under the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) and the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) to help the affected communities.
Romualdez said the expected P40 million worth of assistance is on top of the P4 million worth of food packs from the Office of the Speaker’s Disaster Assistance Fund.
AKAP is a program aimed at supporting those classified as “near poor,” such as minimum wage earners, to prevent them from falling below the poverty line while TUPAD is a community-based program that provides immediate relief to those facing economic hardships, including displaced, underemployed, and seasonal workers.
The Department of Health has raised a “Code White” alert in hospitals near the affected communities in the Negros Island.
Code white is declared during events that can potentially cause mass casualty incidents or emergencies. Under code white, medical personnel are placed on standby for the immediate acceptance and treatment of incoming patients at hospitals.
The DOH advised the public to protect their lungs from ashfall and any noxious gas by closing doors and windows; using wet curtains or clothes to cover any gaps where ash and gases could enter; and wearing face masks properly, or use a wet cloth to cover the nose and mouth.
For those with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the health department said they must ensure their adequate supplies of inhaler medicines and use them as directed by their doctors.
The DOH said the public should also protect their eyes from ashes and dust by wearing safety goggles, and avoiding the use of contact lenses.
It also said the public must keep food safe by washing hands properly and thoroughly before cooking and eating.
Over 5,000 passengers were affected after 66 domestic flights were canceled due to the eruption.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said the canceled flights were from
Cebu Pacific and its unit Cebgo with 30 flights, 20 from Philippine Airlines, six from AirAsia Philippines, and two from AirSwift.
Departing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were among those affected by the cancelled flights, particularly at the Bacolod—Silay International Airport.
The number of OFWs affected remained unavailable as of press time. — With Jocelyn Montemayor, Wendell Vigilia, Gerard Naval, and Myla Iglesias
