The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is appealing to local officials of Bago and La Castellana, Negros Occidental to reassess their decision to allow over 4,000 evacuees to return home near Mt. Kanlaon, as the volcano shows increasing signs of eruption.

OCD Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno warned that the situation remained too risky.

“We must take anticipatory actions to prepare for the worst-case scenario of a more violent eruption. Achieving zero casualties is our utmost priority,” Nepomuceno said in a statement yesterday.

The urgent appeal came amid warnings from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) that the volcano could reach Alert Level 4, from the current Level 3, expanding the danger zone from six to 10 kilometers.

According to OCD, data from the Upper Pantao Observation Station showed troubling signs of volcanic inflation and a sharp drop in sulfur dioxide emissions, signaling growing internal pressure and the risk of a catastrophic eruption.

Nepomuceno emphasized that if an eruption occurs, no resident in the danger zone can escape pyroclastic flows traveling at speeds of 30 to 600 kilometers per hour.

He warned that rescue teams may not be able to penetrate danger zones if an eruption takes place.

He also appealed to residents, including those just outside the danger zone, to “take the situation seriously and evacuate immediately.”

“We want no casualties in the event of an eruption,” Nepomuceno said. (PNA)