Kanlaon Volcano caused widespread agri damage in La Castellana —mayor

The agriculture in the town of La Castellana in Negros Occidental has incurred vast damage following Kanlaon Volcano's Monday night eruption, a local government official said Thursday. 

Mayor Rhumyla Mangilimutan said the crops that were mostly devastated by the volcanic eruption were those in the upper barangays of La Castellana. 

“Almost on the six barangays, five talaga pala, malakas ang ashfall at saka ‘yung mga tiny rocks na ulan, ‘yun ang pinoproblema namin kasi almost ang vegetation sa taas, nasira talaga,” she said in an Unang Balita interview. 

(There was strong ashfall and rockfall in five barangays. That’s our problem because almost all of the vegetation in the upper barangays were destroyed.) 

“Kasi mainit ‘yung ulan ng asupre at saka mga debris ng rocks, mainit siya, so masusunog talaga ang mga saging at mga kamote at saka mga talong. Almost all na tinatanim ng mga tao natin na maliliit na kape na replacement sa mga nawawalang puno ay nasunog rin,” she added.

(The rain of sulfur and debris of the rocks was hot, so it burned the bananas, sweet potatoes, eggplants, and even the small coffee trees that our people planted.) 

According to Mangilimutan, tilapia in several areas were also reportedly killed due to Kanlaon’s recent activities. 

She said the local government unit is still collecting information from farmers to determine how much damage to agriculture the Kanlaon eruption has caused. She also assured the farmers that they will be given the necessary support. 

La Castellana town has been placed under state of calamity following the eruption of Mount Kanlaon. 

Mangilimutan said a total of 1,113 individuals or 277 families were displaced in their town — some had to stay in evacuation centers while others temporarily moved to the houses of their relatives or friends. 

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), gray cohesive mud, plant debris and gravel have been deposited by lahar along some waterways in the cities of La Castellana and Canlaon in Negros Occidental, namely:

• Tamburong Creek, which courses through Biak-na-Bato and Calapnagan in La Castellana
• Intiguiwan River in Guinpanaan and upstream Baji-Baji Falls in Cabacungan, La Castellana
• Padudusan Falls in Masulog, Canlaon City
• Binalbagan River, which drains the southern flank of Kanlaon Volcano

PHIVOLCS raised the alert level at Kanlaon Volcano from 1 to 2 on Monday following its eruption. —KBK, GMA Integrated News