• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has issued a stark warning in connection with the ongoing magmatic unrest at Mount Kanlaon, which exhibited heightened activity since its last eruption Dec. 9.
“We have entered a period of magmatic unrest, following the December eruption as evidenced by the new magma content in the ash and persistent ash venting,” Ma. Antonia Bornas, chief of the Phivolcs Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division, said.
From Dec. 25 to Jan. 1, Phivolcs recorded 35 ash emission events and, as of noon Jan. 2, logged four more ash emission events.
Relying on scientific data to guide its recommendations, Bornas said: “As far as we can see from the data, Kanlaon is preparing to erupt. But when, how, how long, and how large – it is uncertain.”
“The volcanic activity is unpredictable,” she explained. “We have no handle on timelines. It is the volcano that determines this.”
“This uncertainty underscores the critical need for local government units (LGUs) to develop comprehensive preparedness plans. LGUs can plan for all scenarios, not just one,” Bornas added.
Both Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental are now in a state of calamity.
As reported by the Department of Health-Negros Island Region, there are 4,325 families, composed of 13,920, occupying the 34 evacuation centers in the town of La Castellana, cities of Bago, La Carlota, and San Carlos in Negros Occidental, and in Canlaon City in Negros Oriental.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Jan. 2 that there is a high possibility that internally displaced persons (IDPs) will extend their stay in evacuation centers.
Lacson, who will convene a meeting next week with the Office of Civil Defense, Phivolcs, and other stakeholders, said there is no change in the abnormality of Mt. Kanlaon, noting that ash emissions appeared to be frequent in the past several days.
“What we really need now is divine intervention or close to a miracle for Kanlaon volcano to just suddenly calm down and rest,” the governor said.
He noted that while it may be okay for the IDPs to stay in evacuation centers for about three weeks, they eventually will get tired and weary.
Malacañang recently gave a total of P110 million for Negros Island, of which P60 million is for Negros Oriental, and P50 million for Negros Occidental, to address the needs of IDPs in evacuation centers.
Lacson admitted that the P50-million assistance will not be enough for the IDPs in Negros Occidental should they stay longer in evacuation centers.
He also expressed concern about the health status of the IDPs, stressing that “it is safer for them to stay in their respective homes.”
The DOH-NIR earlier said that the evacuees are in a stable state of health with medical concerns being addressed through ongoing consultations.
In case Alert Level 4 will be declared, Lacson said he expects a bigger problem as far as the evacuation is concerned. | GB
