Kanlaon erupts, sends ash into sky

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(UPDATE) KANLAON Volcano in Negros Island erupted on Tuesday morning, sending a towering ash plume four kilometers into the atmosphere.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the eruption began at 5:51 a.m. and lasted for nearly an hour.

The plume drifted southwest, causing ashfall in several barangay (villages) in La Carlota City, including Cubay, San Miguel, and La Granja.

Community reports confirmed minimal ashfall west of the volcano due to the direction of the wind.

Kanlaon also erupted on Dec. 9, 2024, prompting the evacuation of residents inside the 6-kilometer danger zone radius.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has also issued a notice to airmen, warning pilots to avoid flying near Kanlaon due to potential hazards from volcanic ash. The advisory covers airspace up to 22,000 feet.

The Department of Education reported that the eruption disrupted the education of 40,649 students across Negros Occidental. At least 70 schools have suspended in-person classes and shifted to alternative learning modalities as a precautionary measure.

Work suspended

The city government of La Carlota suspended work in all government offices until further notice.

The order of Mayor Rex Jalando-on to suspend work does not include offices and agencies involved in disaster and emergency response, which will remain operational.

The local government of La Carlota also suspended work and also appealed to private establishments to suspend operations for the safety and wellness of the employees.

Bacolod Mayor Albee Benitez reported that the city remained unaffected by the ashfall but said they are ready to assist local government units affected by the eruption.

Authorities reiterated the strict prohibition of human activity within the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone.

Residents are advised to remain indoors, stay updated through official channels and follow all safety advisories issued by local authorities.

DSWD prepared

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian, meanwhile, assured the public that the department is prepared to quickly distribute family food packs (FFPs) and other necessary assistance to families affected by the recent eruption of Kanlaon.

Gatchalian reported on Tuesday that over 250,000 family food packs are strategically stored in warehouses across Western and Central Visayas, ready for distribution to families affected by the ongoing eruption.

"As I speak, our field offices in Western and Central Visayas are closely coordinating with affected local government units (LGUs) so we can get real-time updates on the status of affected families and their need for more provisions of family food packs and non-food items," Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian said that since the Dec. 9 eruption, the DSWD has been consistently delivering large quantities of family food packs to local government units in Western and Central Visayas.

The DSWD is prepared to provide additional support, as the local response to the recent eruption may require more supplies to adequately address the needs of affected communities.

"We expect the numbers of evacuees may spike again, but we are ready," Gatchalian said.

"Apart from the more than 100,000 FFPs in Negros Island, we have over 2.5 million boxes of FFPs prepositioned in other warehouses across the country, which we can tap anytime for our relief response."

The DSWD also has a stockpile of non-food items worth P865,447,008, including kitchen kits, family kits, sleeping kits, hygiene kits and laminated sacks.

Gatchalian also advised residents in nearby communities to follow the evacuation orders issued by local government units and prioritize their safety above all else.

"Help is coming their way, so the first thing that they should prioritize is their safety and we will see to it that all our resources will be pooled to also assure their comfort," Gatchalian said.