Canlaon City in Negros Oriental is on alert against landslides and mudflows amid heavy rainfall and weather disturbances, an official said on Thursday, Sept. 4.
Seth Bariga, information officer of the Canlaon City’s Emergency Operations Center, said that emergency response units and local government offices are keeping a close watch on the weather to ensure the safety of residents.
The heightened vigilance comes after a landslide in Manggapa, Barangay Masulog, of that mountain city over the weekend that was triggered by heavy rains.
“The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office is ready to respond anytime, especially in areas that are vulnerable to landslides and lahar flow,” Bariga said.
While Mt. Kanlaon’s unrest has relatively died down in recent weeks, there is still the danger of a lahar flow. Volcanic sediments from recent eruptions have accumulated on the slopes and could be dislodged by a heavy downpour. A lahar flow was reported in Biak-na-Bato in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, this past weekend.
Bariga noted that so far, the waters remain crystal clear at the Padudusan Falls-Natural Waterslide in Canlaon City, which was previously covered with lahar flow at the height of volcanic unrest and eruptions.*PNA