The local government unit (LGU) of Canlaon City in Negros Oriental is prepared to respond anytime in the event Mt. Kanlaon will erupt anew, an official said yesterday.
Seth Bariga, information officer of Canlaon City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), said the series of earthquakes felt in the past days has alerted authorities to prepare for a worst-case scenario.
“The LGU is ready to execute Oplan Exodus in case a volcanic eruption warrants mass evacuation of residents in the extended permanent danger zone [PDZ],” Bariga said in an interview.
While Oplan Exodus is a contingency plan designed for an Alert Level 4 scenario, some of its components may be executed at a time when Alert Level 2 is currently in place, he added.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), in its 8:00 a.m. advisory yesterday, said an increased seismic activity was observed at Kanlaon Volcano.
The Kanlaon Volcano Network recorded a total of 72 volcanic-tectonic (VT) earthquakes between 12:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. yesterday.
Phivolcs also reported more earthquakes in the subsequent hours, which were felt in Canlaon City, La Carlota City and Murcia in Negros Occidental.
“The increase in VT events could lead to increased chances of steam-driven or phreatic eruptions or short-lived weak to moderately explosive eruptions occurring at the summit that could generate life-threatening volcanic hazards,” it said.
Bariga said the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) and the EOC are on standby alert for any eventuality, while the Department of Social Welfare and Development has also prepositioned food packs and non-food items for distribution at any given time.
Meanwhile, 1,101 families or 3,543 individuals from the four-kilometer PDZ are still not allowed to return to their homes, Bariga said.
Of the total, 16 families or 65 individuals are staying at two evacuation centers, while 109 families or 375 individuals are staying with relatives outside the evacuation camps.
In case of an eruption, Bariga said the LGU will coordinate with the Department of Education for schools that can be utilized as temporary shelters during mass evacuation, or deploy modular tents to the barangay halls that could accommodate a smaller number of displaced residents. (PNA)