BACOLOD CITY (PIA) – Local government units (LGUs) around Kanlaon are implementing their contingency plans following the volcano’s eruption at about 03:00 PM today, Dec. 9.
LGUs nearest to Kanlaon, such as Bago, La Carlota, La Castellana, and Murcia, have begun evacuating their residents into safer ground.
With the alert level now raised to 3, signifying magmatic unrest which may lead to further explosive eruption according to Phivolcs, local governments are advised to immediately evacuate the 6-kilometer radius from the summit of the volcano.
“We need to evacuate the communities inside the 6-km danger zone,” Office of Civil Defense Region 6 Director Raul Fernandez.
The OCD then assured that preparedness measures are in place down to the barangay level including evacuation, transportation, and camp management.
Meanwhile, chief executives in the affected municipalities then promptly suspended classes in all levels both in public and private educational institutions and government offices, except those with line functions in emergency situations.
To note, the Regional Incident Management Team (RMT) has been activated since the increased activity of Kanlaon in previous months.
The OCD and local disaster risk reduction and management offices (LDRRMOs) also led tabletop and simulation exercises in the barangay level as part of preparations in anticipation of the recent event.
To help augment the on-going evacuation efforts, municipalities not affected by the eruption, such as Himamaylan, Cauayan and Pulupandan, are also sending in their resources into severely-hit areas.
According to Phivolcs, pyroclastic density currents, or hot flows of ash, gas, and other volcanic particles, descended the slopes of the volcano on the southeastern side of the volcano during its eruption earlier, but Pagasa advises the public to closely monitor the wind direction that will influence the direction of the volcanic ash.
Authorities urge Negrenses to follow the advice of the government, monitor news updates, stay indoors, and wear personal protective equipment such as face masks as protection from volcanic ash. (BPS/PIA Negros Occidental)
