• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Despite the continued degassing and ash emission at Mt. Kanlaon, there is no reason to increase the alert level yet, Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said on Monday (Nov. 11).
Alert Level 2 remains in effect over the volcano, with three ashing events noted in the past 24 hours.
Mt. Kanlaon emitted 3,010 tonnes of sulfur dioxide from its crater on Nov. 10.
While the gas emission is not high, it is beyond its normal activities.
“But we have to address it on a day-to-day basis to get the parameters,” Bacolcol said.
He also reported light traces of ashfall and sulfurous odor in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental.
Bacolcol said that while the tropical storm has no connection with the activities of Mt. Kanlaon, torrential rains may mobilize lahar deposits from the crater.
Residents near the river should be alert, even those beyond the four-kilometer radius permanent danger zone, he added.
“If there is torrential rainfall, they have to evacuate,” Bacolcol said.
Office of Civil Defense Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno earlier ordered the agency’s regional office in Western Visayas to prepare for worst-case scenarios such as when an eruption coincides with a typhoon.
“Preparing for the worst-case scenario is crucial for saving lives. We must ensure that our response plans are robust and ready to be implemented at a moment’s notice, especially in the face of potential natural disasters,” Nepomuceno said. | GB
