La Castellana residents warned

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BACOLOD CITY — A heavy downpour on Friday evening caused the lahar deposited in hilly areas after a recent Mount Kanlaon eruption to overflow on early Saturday morning, affecting a major bridge and a highway in La Castellana town.

LAHAR RAMPAGE A delivery truck struggles as it negotiates the Tamburong Bridge in Barangay Biak-na-Bato in La Castellana town as lahar formed from a mix of volcanic debris and mud deposited in the area overflowed after a heavy downpour on May 23, 2025. PHOTO FROM LA CASTELLANA MDRRMO

The overflowing mix of lahar and volcanic debris from past eruptions rampaged through the Biak-na-Bato Bridge and went all the way to a portion of the Biak-na-Bato Highway in La Castellana.

Authorities have called on residents of La Castellana, Negros Occidental, particularly those near waterways and low-lying areas, to remain alert following a mudflow that hit the highway in Barangay Biak-na-Bato near the foot of Mount Kanlaon.

"Exercise heightened caution and remain vigilant for possible further flooding or lahar flows. Public safety remains a top priority," the Office of Civil Defense 6 (OCD Western Visayas) said in an advisory on Saturday.

Donato Sermeno III, regional director of the OCD in the Negros Island Region, said on Saturday that he has already requested the provincial government of Negros Occidental, and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for heavy equipment needed for road clearing operations.

The OCD said the area has been rendered impassable due to overflowing floodwaters and mudflow brought about by continuous heavy rainfall over the past several days.

The condition was aggravated by the accumulation of volcanic ash spewed by Kanlaon Volcano last year, the agency said.

Motorists are advised to take alternative routes and avoid the affected area.

Authorities said residents, particularly those living near waterways and low-lying areas, are strongly urged to exercise heightened caution and remain vigilant for possible further flooding or lahar flows.

According to the advisory, the highway at Sitio Tamburong in Barangay Biak-na-Bato has been rendered impassable due to overflowing floodwaters and mudflow after several days of heavy rains.

"This condition has been further aggravated by the accumulation of volcanic ash, resulting from ash emissions and several minor to moderate eruptions of Kanlaon Volcano since last year," it added.

In a separate advisory, the La Castellana Incident Management Team said "due to heavy rains in Barangay Biak-na-Bato Friday night, stocked lahar flowed into the Tamburong Bridge from Kanlaon Volcano."

"As a result, the Barangay Biak-na-Bato Highway is temporarily not accessible to commuters," it added.

At past noon Saturday, a clearing operation was under way along the affected highway.

Municipal information officer Remuel Seladan Lajo said affected commuters could pass via Barangay Cabacungan until the clearing works are completed.

The DPWH, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Red Cross and other local government units are also providing assistance to the La Castellana municipal government, he added.

Kanlaon Volcano is still under Alert Level 3 or magmatic unrest.