• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Lahar sediments from Kanlaon Volcano washed down by heavy rains again overflowed along the highway of Sitio Tamburong in Barangay Biak na Bato, La Castellana, Negros Occidental on Friday (Sept. 26).
On Thursday night, the highway was rendered impassable due to the overflow from Ibid Creek, which is now filled with lahar sediments, composed of a mixture of volcanic ash, tephra, rocks, and water that flowed down the slopes of the volcano like a river of wet concrete.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the Tamburong Bridge’s box culvert design is not ideal for the flow of volcanic sediments, adding that he already asked the Department of Public Works and Highways to re-design the bridge.
La Castellana Mayor Añejo Nicor said on Friday the highway in Sitio Tamburong had eventually been cleared and was again passable.
Once the weather is clear, new lahar sediments that flowed down from upstream will be extracted, Lacson said.
The provincial government of Negros Occidental and the local government of La Castellana are joining hands in the clearing of the creek, which has already been widened by the lahar sediments.
The Protected Area Management Board of Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park has requested Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Raphael Lotilla to authorize Lacson to issue a special permit for the clearing of the lahar sediments.
Lacson wants to tap private companies to hasten the clearing of the volcanic materials from the Ibid Creek estimated at 25,189 cubic meters, based on the report of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau as of Sept. 24. | GB
