• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Two ash emissions were recorded at Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island on April 5, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
The ash emissions lasted from 13 to 24 minutes, with 12 volcanic quakes, including two volcanic tremors, also logged by Phivolcs.
Ash emissions that lasted for 18 minutes from the summit crater of Kanlaon volcano were recorded on Friday, it added.
Alert Level 3 (intensified unrest/magmatic unrest) remains in effect at Kanlaon Volcano.
Meanwhile, at least 22 families, affected by the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon, are now occupying a new resettlement site in Bago City.
According to the city government of Bago, the internally displaced persons (IDPs) were transferred March 31 to the Payag sang Kapag-on Village in Barangay Napoles, after staying for almost four months at the Regional Evacuation Center in Barangay Lag-asan.
Instead of modular tents, the local government unit (LGU) utilizes modernized nipa huts or ‘bahay kubo’ mainly for its sustainability.
City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Dr. Merijene Ortizo said nipa huts are a more resilient alternative to tents.
The Payag sang Kapag-on Village, which stands on a seven-hectare property owned by the LGU, houses the IDPs from Purok Manokan, Barangay Ilijan situated within the six-kilometer permanent danger zone of Mt. Kanlaon.
The temporary resettlement site is equipped with underground electrical cables, LED (light emitting diode) lights, and septic tanks for portable toilets.
It is among the initiatives undertaken by the city government to prepare for the possible escalation of Mt. Kanlaon’s status, from Alert Level 3 to 4, in case of another eruption, following the explosive eruption on Dec. 9, 2024. | GB/PNA
