The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) announced that it is now preparing for the possibility of prolonged unrest of Mount Kanlaon, its chief said on Wednesday night, June 5.

“The anticipated needs are also being tackled in the series of coordination to ensure that needed support will be extended immediately. We need to be ready. OCD is ramping up its efforts in collaboration with concerned agencies and local authorities for possible prolonged emergency,” OCD administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said in a statement.

He added that the OCD’s regional counterparts in Western and Central Visayas are working with concerned agencies and local authorities for the implementation of appropriate response protocols and possible augmentation of support amid the volcano’s restiveness.

“There are established preparedness and response protocols that serve as guides to address this emergency. Our regional counterparts are there, on alert, to directly assist the local DRRMOs,” Nepomuceno said.

The OCD and several members of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council also convened on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the situation and preparedness for possible future explosions of Mount Kanlaon.

Department of Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum Jr., during the meeting, reiterated its warning to avoid the four-kilometer permanent danger zone around the volcano.

The volcano, which is currently on Alert Level 2, erupted on Monday night, June 3, producing a 5,000-meter plume.

As of Wednesday, Kanlaon’s unrest has affected 451 families or 1,888 individuals in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental provinces.

Most families are staying in 11 evacuation centers. (PNA)