OCD urges LGUs near Mount Kanlaon to keep evacuations

The Office of Civil Defense on Sunday urged local government units near Mount Kanlaon to reconsider allowing evacuees to return home due to recent volcanic activity and increasing signs of potential eruption.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) warned that the alert status could be raised to Level 4, potentially extending the permanent danger zone from six kilometers to ten kilometers.

Undersecretary Ariel F. Nepomuceno, OCD Administrator, cited significant inflation in the volcano's upper sections and a drastic reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions as indicators of increased pressure inside the volcano.

Bago City Mayor Nicholas Yulo and La Castellana Mayor Alme Rhummyla Nicor-Mangulimutan have resisted calls from Task Force Kanlaon to keep 2,428 evacuees outside the six-kilometer danger zone in evacuation centers, arguing their decisions align with PHIVOLCS guidelines.

The OCD emphasized that if an eruption occurs, no resident within the danger zones can escape pyroclastic flows traveling at speeds of 30 to 600 kilometers per hour, and urged local officials to prioritize citizen safety despite challenges evacuees face.

Department of Social Welfare and Development is sending more food packs to Negros Island in anticipation of a possible eruption.