With an ‘Alert Level 2’ still declared over Mt. Kanlaon, the Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) has been strengthening coordination and contingency plans with local government units (LGUs) located within the vicinity of the volcano.

PDRRMO head Zeaphard Caelian reported a total 34 volcanic quakes recorded between Friday morning and Sunday morning, a steep decline from the 249 recorded within a 24-hour period last week.

Despite the drop in the number of tremors, he noted, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) is currently studying the current conditions of the volcano, which can take weeks before reevaluating the alert level.

Meanwhile, nearby LGUs have taken action in light of the recent volatility.

La Castellana Mayor Rhumyla Nicor Manguilimutan has since called an emergency meeting of the municipal DRRMO and barangay officials to conduct information drives for local residents.

She noted, the town’s Barangay Masulog is situated near the four-kilometer danger zone.

La Carlota City DRRMO head Roberto Eizpuro said their law enforcement and barangay officials have been conducting rounds in barangays near the volcano, with some preparing equipment for possible evacuations.

He added, Doña Hortencia Salas Benedicto National High School, along with La Carlota North and South Elementary Schools, are considered “ideal evacuation centers” as they are near the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) office and the Don Salvador Benedicto Memorial District Hospital.

Since the alert level was declared last week, residents near the volcano have been advised to stay away from the four-kilometer danger zone, due to the volcano’s volatility./DGB, WDJ