Negros needs a miracle to halt the imminent eruption of Kanlaon Volcano, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Thursday, Jan. 2.
“What we really need now is Divine intervention, close to a miracle that Kanlaon Volcano will all of a sudden just calm down and rest”, said Lacson, who appealed for prayers.
“Experts are saying it will erupt but they don’t know when it’s going to happen”, he said.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has asked local government units that would be affected by a Kanlaon Volcano eruption to prepare for a worst-case scenario.
The increase in volcanic earthquakes and sustained emission of sulfur dioxide at Kanlaon is a clear signal of rising magma that indicates that a magmatic eruption is likely, Mariton Antonia Bornas, chief of the Phivolcs Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division, reiterated on Thursday.
She also cited increased and frequent ash emissions at Kanlaon.
Given these rising indicators Phivolcs cannot lower the Alert Level 3 at Kanlaon, she said.
Phivolcs recommendation for residents from within the six kilometer danger zone to stay at evacuation centers remains, but it is really up to the local government units to decide, she said.
Phivolcs relies on scientific data to guide its recommendations, “As far as we can see from the data, Kanlaon is preparing to erupt. But when, how, how long, and how large—it is uncertain,” Bornas said.
“The volcanic activity is unpredictable…We have no handle on timelines. It is the volcano that determines this”, she also said.
Lacson said he is calling for meeting with the Office of Civil Defense representatives next week.
“There is a decision to be made on the possible return home of the evacuees”, he said, pointing out that after three weeks in evacuation centers they will eventually grow tired of staying there.
Lacson also said he is concerned that illnesses could spread at the evacuation centers. “Our concern is they could get sick, they may be safer to stay home health wise,” he said.
Lacson pointed out that after the June 3 Kanlaon eruption the evacuees were allowed to go home and were safely brought back to evacuation centers following the Dec. 9 eruption.
The governor said while the possibility of the evacuees having to stay in the evacuation centers for a much longer period is high, “we want to at least discuss if it is possible for them to return home”.
Lacson said a state of calamity is still in effect that will enable the provincial government to use its 2025 disaster fund to feed the evacuees, should the funds on hand run out.
He is very thankful for the P50 million aid from Malacañang that could help feed the current evacuees for a month to a month and a half, Lacson also said.
There are currently 14,321 evacuees in 34 evacuation centers and 6,987 displaced persons staying with relatives and friends in Negros Occidental and Oriental, the Office of Civil Defense reported.
The Kanlaon eruption has affected 12,043 families with 46,359 members, it also said.
Kanlaon is currently under Alert Level 3 or under high level of volcanic unrest. If Alert Level 4 is declared it would mean a hazardous eruption is imminent, Phivolcs said.
That would be problem because it would mean more evacuees, that is why we need Divine intervention, Lacson said.
Lacson, in his New Year’s message to the provincial government employees on Thursday morning, said through the Capitol’s 20 community kitchens, they have been providing meals to more than 10,000 evacuees, camp managers, volunteers, peacekeepers, and social workers.
Meals are provided at evacuation centers in Bago, La Carlota, and La Castellana, he said.
“Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and the days in between were celebrated with love and joy in our evacuation camps”, Lacson also said.
“We tried our best to make sure that Christmas and New Year celebrations were not deferred because of calamities. We strived to bring a sense of normalcy, hope, and comfort to those affected”, he said.
To ensure that they have proper facilities for health and sanitation, the provincial government has also provided portalets at the evacuation centers, Lacson said.
He thanked all the provincial government employees who sacrificed their time for their own family celebrations just to make sure help was brought to the evacuation centers.
Face to face classes in areas close to Kanlaon Volcano remain suspended.*