• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded five ash emission events at Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island on Thursday, April 9.
The volcano’s unrest continues as the provincial government of Negros Occidental is set to hold the 30th edition of Panaad sa Negros Festival on April 13 to 19.
The fifth ash emission event on Thursday noon, which lasted for almost an hour, generated a grayish plume that rose 900 meters above the Kanlaon crater.
Alert Level 2 prevails over the volcano as Phivolcs reminded the public to be cautious for ash fall.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson assured the public that the provincial government is fully prepared to respond should Kanlaon Volcano erupt during the upcoming festivities, emphasizing that all disaster response mechanisms and protocols are firmly in place.
“We are ready, not only the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) but the entire province. We’ve gone through this before,” Lacson said, expressing optimism that the volcanic activity will remain stable and not disrupt the celebration.
Despite this, the governor acknowledged the unpredictability of the volcano, admitting that there is still uncertainty regarding the potential magnitude of any future eruption.
Lacson said the government’s response will be strictly based on the alert level status.
“If Alert Level 3 will be declared, then we will have really to evacuate people. If remains at Alert Level 2, we will remain steady,” he added.
The PDRRMO is now on blue alert status, in connection with the celebration of Panaad sa Negros Festival.
Lacson raised the possibility that rising fuel prices will have an effect on tourism and overall festival sales due to higher travel costs.
As Filipinos loves to celebrate, the governor expressed confidence that local government units and other communities will still come out to support their respective delegations. | GB
