The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said on December 11, 2024 that it is yet too early to raise to 4 the alert level at Kanlaon Volcano but it is doing “worst case scenario planning.”

“We should prepare as if the alert level will go up,” said Director Teresito Bacolcol of DOST-PHIVOLCS in a report by Mariz Umali on 24 Oras.

“We will assess this on a day-to-day basis but yung Alert Level 3, ibig sabihin nyan, hazardous eruption is possible in the next few weeks but, of course, we will have to evaluate this one… titingnan natin kung mag-escalate ba further,” Bacolcol said.

Part of the “worst case scenario planning” is considering the possibility of widening the scope of the mandatory evacuation, considering that a tropical cyclone is forecast to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) in the third week of December and heavy rains can carry lahar from the volcano downstream.

Asec. Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, Deputy Administrator for Administration Education of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), said they are looking at widening the scope to a 10-kilometer radius.

This needs careful study, he said, because this would mean up to 139,000 residents would have to be evacuated. This also means that more evacuation centers and more provisions like food will be needed.

CHALLENGE

This is exactly the challenge of the local government unit of La Castellana, for example, where more than 9,000 residents have already taken refuge at 11 evacuation centers as of December 11.

Aside from crowding, the challenge for the LGU is how to sustain the food supply and other necessities for the evacuees.

“Ang problema natin is ang food. Syempre, ang DSWD, ang province, merong food packs na pwede nating i-repack. We need na bigyan sila ng gulay, and, of course, mobility at transportation,” said Mayor Rhummyla Nicor Mangilimutan.

Filtration systems have been put up at the evacuation centers to ensure that the drinking water is safe.

PHIVOLCS) recorded at least 31 volcanic earthquakes at the Kanlaon Volcano a day after it erupted afternoon on December 9.

It also observed more sulphur dioxide emissions at 4,000 tons per day.

Several residents of Barangay Robles in La Castellana said they smelled sulphur after rain poured evening on December 10, 2024.

That night, PHIVOLCS was quick to advise local government units near the Kanlaon Volcano to keep an eye on possible “rain-induced lahars.” 

“Rain-induced lahars may generate in rivers that pass through barangays impacted by pyroclastic density currents from the explosive eruption,” PHIVOLCS said in its advisory.

TOURISM

Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has suspended tourism activities like trekking, swimming, and camp site visits in LGUs near the volcano, including La Castellana, La Carlota, and Murcia in Negros Occidental and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental.

(With reports from Aileen Pedreso, GMA Regional TV One Western Visayas)