• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
As Mt. Kanlaon is getting more restless, 92 families or 301 individuals have been evacuated in four barangays of Canlaon City, Negros Oriental.
Tourist attractions were also closed and classes have remained suspended in the city.
As of early Wednesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) logged 337 volcanic quakes as a result of the ongoing seismic activity.
Phivolcs warned that the volcanic unrest may lead to eruptive activity as it logged 9,985 tons of sulfur dioxide emission from the crater per day, with volcanic plume as much as 1,000 meters high.
Ground deformation shows sustained inflation of the volcano’s edifice, signaling a potential for a larger eruption.
Kanlaon volcano remains under Alert Level 2.
In an executive order dated Sept. 11, Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas declared the temporary closure of tourist attractions within the barangays located at the foot of the volcano, including the Kanlaon Inland Resort and EcoTourism, Padusdusan and Quipot Falls, and Bao Bao Viewing Deck.
All tourism-related activities, including guided tours, outdoor excursions and eco-tourism services are also suspended, Cardenas said.
Access to the four-kilometer radius permanent danger zone is strictly prohibited to tourists, hikers and visitors, the mayor further said.
The Canlaon City government also prepositioned 6,800 food packs, water, medicines, essential supplies, and logistical resources, including heavy equipment and transportation.
Classes are also suspended in La Castellana, Negros Occidental while La Carlota City Mayor Rex Jalandoon raised the possibility of preemptive evacuation in barangays of Araal, Yubo, San Miguel and Haguimit in case of Alert Level 3.
Phivolcs also reported sulfuric odors in Barangay Ilijan, Bago City, Barangay Ara-al and Barangay San Miguel in La Carlota City, as well as Barangays Masulog, Linothangan and Pula in Canlaon City. | GB
