The Office of Civil Defense warned on Tuesday, Jan. 14, that there are 34 barangays in three cities and three towns in Negros Island that are in danger of being hit by pyroclastic flow from an imminent Kanlaon Volcano eruption.
Pyroclastic flow is a fast-moving, destructive, and deadly current of hot volcanic matter and gas that flows out of an erupting volcano.
“Stay alert, always be careful, and follow the reminders and warnings of the authorities because there is still the threat of a catastrophic volcanic eruption, especially since Kanlaon Volcano is under Alert Level 3, which could be raised to Alert Level 4,” the OCD warned.
The OCD said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has identified the following areas in Negros Occidental that could be hit by pyroclastic flow:
*La Castellana – barangays Saga-ang, Camandag, Mansalanao, Manghanoy, Cabacungan, Puso, Biaknabato, Masulog and Cabagna-an in the hazard zone, and Robles in the buffer zone;
*Pontevedra – barangays Buenavista Rizal and Zamora in the buffer zone;
*La Carlota City – barangays Ara-al, Haguimit and San Miguel in the hazard zone, and Yubo, La Granja and Balabag in the buffer zone;
*Bago City – sections of barangays Ilijan and Binubuhan in the hazard zone, and parts of barangays Ilijan, Binubuhan, Mailum and Ma-ao Barrio in the buffer zone;
*Moises Padilla – parts barangays Magallon Cadre, Odiong, Guinpana-an and Montilla in the hazard zone and Odiong, Magallon Cadre, Quintin Remo and Macagahay in the buffer zone;
In Negros Oriental areas likely to be hit by hit by pyroclastic flow should Kanlaon erupt are barangays Pula, Linothangan and Masulog in the hazard zone and Malaiba, Mabigo (Poblacion) and Budlasan in the buffer zone of Canlaon City.
Meanwhile, the OCD said that the Bago City government has started preparations for a temporary relocation site in Barangay Napoloes for 23 families evacuated from the Kanlaon danger zone.
The site will have a demo farm to give the displaced Bago residents a source of livelihood, the OCD said.*