• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported light ashfall anew in four barangays of La Castellana and La Carlota City in Negros Occidental as multiple ash eruptions were recorded since April 1.
In an advisory, Phivolcs said there were five ash emission events on Friday, April 4, lasting from 17 minutes to 102 minutes, with 22 volcanic quakes, including six volcanic tremors, with plume as high as 600 meters.
Kanlaon Volcano remains under Alert Level 3 or high level of volcanic unrest.
Ptolemy Mañego, science research assistant at the Phivolcs Kanlaon Observatory in La Carlota City, raised the possibility that there could be another eruption of Kanlaon Volcano.
Light ashfall was reported in barangays of Yubo and Araal in La Carlota City as well as in Cabagnaan and Sag-ang in La Castellana while sulfuric odor was noted in the upper slope of Kanlaon Volcano.
The multiple ash emissions may have been due to plugging and unplugging of the volcanic conduit.
According to data from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), a total of 5,657 evacuees remain in evacuation centers in Negros Occidental, including 4,264 in La Castellana, 77 in Bago City, 1,111 in La Carlota City, and 205 in San Carlos City.
The OCD is eyeing to put up permanent evacuation centers in several barangays in southern Negros Occidental.
Donato Sermeno III, regional director of OCD-Negros Island Region, said they have identified three local government units (LGUs) where the permanent evacuation centers will be located.
These are Barangay Calumangan in Bago City, Barangay La Granja and San Miguel in La Carlota City and Barangays Talaptap, Lalagsan, Manghanoy, Robles and Nato in La Castellana.
Sermeno said they will coordinate with the concerned LGUs before submitting their recommendations to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau. | GB
