• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
As degassing and ashing events continue at Mt. Kanlaon, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has established the Task Group Kanlaon to ensure smooth coordination and immediate intervention among government agencies and concerned local governments in case of a worst-case scenario.
The OCD designated Negros Island Region regional director Donato Sermeno III as the chairperson, with Western Visayas regional director Raul Fernandez and Central Visayas regional director Joel Erastain.
Sermeno and Fernandez, in compliance with the order of OCD chief Ariel Nepomuceno, on Monday visited La Castellana, La Carlota City and San Carlos City in Negros Occidental, and Canlaon City, Negros Oriental to look into the real situation on the ground and to determine the effects of ashfall to residents in those areas.
Fernandez said that they have not received reports of health-related issues in connection with the ashfall.
However, the ashfall has affected crops in Canlaon City, although they are still trying to determine the estimated amount of damage.
In a bulletin issued by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Nov. 12, it reported two ash emission events, which were four to 11 minutes long, and 19 volcanic quakes.
Emission of sulfur dioxide was recorded at 3,579 tons on Nov. 11.
“We cannot always order them (local government units or LGUs) to conduct preemptive evacuation because it will entail depletion of our resources,” Fernandez said.
Still, he said the LGUs are fully capacitated as they know the drill on the ground.
“They can assess better the situation, especially on the affected population,” the OCD-6 chief said, stressing that they are continuously providing them with advisories from Phivolcs and warnings from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on the behavior of Kanlaon.
Fernandez encouraged limited movement during ashfall and wearing of face masks, both indoor and outdoor, if there are sulfurous odor.
He added that the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park Protected Area Management Board held in abeyance its approval of the delineation of the special protection zone within the four-kilometer radius permanent danger zone until such time there is a concrete plan on the relocation of affected residents. | GB
