Five barangays in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental are closely being monitored amid the recent ash emissions of Mt. Kanlaon, a Dumaguete City official involved in disaster response said.

Seth Bariga, information officer-designate of Canlaon City’s Emergency Operations Center, told the Philippine News Agency that trucks are on standby to evacuate residents of these barangays if necessary.

The five barangays — Masulog, Lumapaw, Pula, Malaiba, and Linothangan — are outside Mt. Kanlaon’s four-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ) but within its six-kilometer extended PDZ.

Bariga said parts of Masulog and Pula are within the PDZ, which remains off-limits to this day. Residents of these areas are currently residing in two evacuation camps or with relatives.

“As of the moment, there are no reports of ashfall in these areas since the wind is blowing in the southeast direction,” Bariga said.

On October 15, Kanlaon emitted grayish ash plumes between 6:54 a.m. to 7:40 a.m., producing plumes that rose up to 100 meters above the summit crater before drifting southwest, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

A similar event was also reported on October 13.

Bariga said no damage or untoward incidents related to the volcano’s unrest have been reported so far, but barangay officials have been directed to monitor their respective areas should Mt. Kanlaon’s activities escalate.

Alert Level 2 prevails over Mt. Kanlaon, signifying “increased unrest,” Phivolcs said. (PNA)