The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) explained volcanic hazards and presented possible scenarios for restive Mt. Kanlaon to 40 public information officers (PIO) and members of media in Negros Oriental recently.
Dr. Teresito Bacolcol, Phivolcs director, said the agency is looking at three different scenarios in view of the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon.
The first scenario is an effusive eruption similar to what happened during the Mayon Volcano eruption in 2023 which lasted for six months.
“In this scenario, the flow of lava may take a longer period to gradually disappear, but the hazard will be contained in a small area of the mountain,” explained Bacolcol.
The second scenario will be an explosive eruption caused by the rapid rising of magma to the surface of the volcano, which could last for two weeks and bring pyroclastic density currents or hot volcanic gases or materials cascading down the slope of the volcano.
Bacolcol said an explosive eruption would lead to the hoisting of Alert Level 4 over Mt. Kanlaon.
He also described the scenario to be destructive since pyroclastic density currents can travel several hundreds of kilometers per hour.
The third scenario is that the magma underneath will stop rising and all indicators of volcanic unrest will subside, leading to the downgrading of Alert Level 3 to Level 2.
Mount Kanlaon is currently under Alert Level 3, which means there is a high level of volcanic unrest that could lead to voluminous emissions of ash.
The media seminar dubbed “Infopress” was conducted by Phivolcs to inform government communicators and media practitioners on the volcanic terminologies and hazards related to Mount Kanlaon.
Bacolcol underscored the importance of partnering with the media and PIOs in cascading information on the risks involved in this calamity.
“Kining atong activity karon is intended for the reporters so that they can correctly broadcast and interpret kung unsa buot ipasabot sa mga advisory. Science in communication is very important and ang partner nato dire would be the media,” Bacolcol said. (Our activity is intended for the reporters so they can correctly broadcast and interpret our advisories. Science in communication is very important and our partner for this is the media.)
“By providing public information officers and the media with the tools to communicate effectively, we can help ensure that messages about volcanic risks and safety measures are clear, consistent, and easy for the public to understand,” he added.
Phivolcs conducted a similar event in Bacolod City on Feb. 19 before coming to Dumaguete City on Feb. 20.
Canlaon City public information officer Edna Lhou Masicampo said the seminar was helpful for her to better understand the details of Mt. Kanlaon’s activities, hazards, and monitoring techniques, enabling her to have a good grasp of the science of volcanoes.
“Misconceptions on Kanlaon Volcano were corrected during the Infopress seminar. Like for instance, moingon ang mga tawo na gamay na lang iyang gibuga nga aso, okay na kalma na but the experts clarified nga if there are still volcanic earthquakes, there is an equivalent pressure underneath so dili gyud magkumpanysa,” Masicampo said. (For instance, when people would say that when the volcano emits low volumes of smoke, it’s a sign that it is getting calm. But the experts clarified that if there are still volcanic earthquakes happening, there is an equivalent pressure underneath so we can never be too complacent.)
Mary Joy Tubis, reporter of DYSR FM in Dumaguete City, said it is important for agencies like Phivolcs to frequently engage with the media.
“It is very important to engage with the media so that local journalists like me can accurately understand what is happening and know which terms to use or avoid when relaying the information to the public to prevent confusion and misinformation,” Tubis said. | NWI
