Over 3,000 evacuate on Negros Island due to heavy rain, Kanlaon Volcano threat
BACOLOD, Philippines – More than 3,000 residents on Negros Island evacuated to temporary shelters following continuous rain and fears of a possible re-eruption of Kanlaon Volcano.
Local officials said on Sunday, September 15, that 3,286 evacuees, comprising 1,026 families, have sought refuge in various evacuation centers.
More than 700 people from Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, have also fled their homes due to fears of volcanic activity and the habagat (southwest monsoon), which have been causing heavy rainfall across the region.
On Monday morning, September 16, a low-pressure area formed into a tropical depression, which strengthened slightly. It has enhanced the southwest monsoon.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) told a news conference that tropical depression, named Gener, had an increased gustiness of 70 kilometers per hour from the previous 55 km/h.
As of the latest update, the tropical depression was located 325 kilometers east northeast of Casiguran, Aurora, moving slowly west southwest.
The towns of La Castellana and Moises Padilla, located on the southern slope of Kanlaon Volcano, are among the areas most at risk from potential volcanic activity. On the northern side of the volcano are Murcia and San Carlos City, while La Carlota and Bago City are situated to the west.
In Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas ordered the evacuation of residents within a four-kilometer permanent danger zone of Kanlaon Volcano.
As of Sunday, a total of 754 people out of 237 families from Barangays Pula, Malaiba, Masulog, Lumapao, and Linothangan have been relocated to evacuation centers.
La Castellana Mayor Alme Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan reported evacuees from the villages of Masulog, Cabagna-an, Cabagna-an, Biak na Bato, and Mansalanao.
In neighboring Moises Padilla, Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo reported that 47 families, totaling 116 individuals, have also evacuated from Barangays 1, 2, 6, and Odiong.
Raul Fernandez, director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Region VI, said the evacuations in La Castellana, Moises Padilla, and Canlaon City are preventive measures to ensure the safety of residents within the danger zones.
Fernandez added that the Regional Incident Management Team (RIMT) from Region 6 will be deployed to Negros Occidental to assist and evaluate the situation.
In other areas of Negros Occidental, heavy rain brought by the southwest monsoon caused flash floods and disruptions.
Bago City Hospital was flooded on September 13 and 14, temporarily suspending its Out-Patient Department (OPD) services. The hospital resumed operations late Saturday night, according to hospital administrator Dr. Rey Pacillan.
As of Sunday morning, the Philippine Coast Guard in Northern Occidental canceled all sea trips for vessels with a gross tonnage of 250 and below due to a gale warning. Affected are the Bacolod-Iloilo, San Carlos-Toledo, and Pulupandan-Guimaras crossing routes.
Meanwhile, in Bacolod City, flash floods were reported on the Mandalagan-Buri Road, and falling trees caused power outages in Barangays Villamonte and Taculing.
Meanwhile, the Canlaon City government has made public emergency hotlines for affected residents:
- Barangay Pula: 0993-300-7882
- Barangay Malaiba: 0993-479-7142
- Barangay Masulog: 0994-964-2811
- Barangay Lumapao: 0936-216-2072
- Barangay Linothangan: 0946-642-0339
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has warned of another Kanlaon Volcano eruption due to its increasing unrest. The agency recorded 17 volcanic tremors on September 13, along with the highest sulfur dioxide emission to date, totaling 10,800 tons.
PHIVOLCS has also reported 288 volcanic-tectonic earthquakes since a phreatic explosion occurred on June 3. The agency cautioned that Kanlaon’s current activity could lead to a magmatic eruption, which is more hazardous than the earlier phreatic event. – Rappler.com