Mt. Kanlaon emitted voluminous ash on Monday, April 14, but only thin layers fell on La Carlota City and Bago City.
The ash emissions on Monday were not explosive eruptions like the one on April 8 that was accompanied by a booming sound, Mari-Andylene Quintia, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) resident volcanologist, said.
The first ash emission at Kanlaon on Monday began at 11:52 a.m. and lasted until 2:12 p.m., followed by a second one from 2:53 p.m. to 3:24 p.m., and a third one from 5:17 p.m. until nightfall, she said.
Thin ash fall hit eight barangays in La Carlota City and three in Bago City, officials said.
The 11:52 a.m. to 2:12 p.m. Kanlaon emission generated voluminous ash plumes, the highest of which was at 800 meters (2,625 feet) from the summit crater and dropped to about 500 meters before it tapered down, Quintia said.
A second ash emission from 2:53 p.m. until 3:24 p.m. generated a voluminous ash plume as tall as 600 meters from the summit crater, she said.
Mariton Bornas, head of Phivolcs’ Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division, told the Philippine News Agency that given the monitoring parameters and if there is no significant change, “we might end up with a lava eruption or a highly explosive eruption” at Kanlaon.
Ash fall hit eight barangays in La Carlota and the city proper, Dr. Junnie Martin Torrefranco, City Disaster Risk Reduction Officer, said.
The eight barangays are Yubo, Araal, San Miguel, Balabag, La Granja, Cubay, Nagasi and Haguimit, he said.
The initial reports indicate only slight ash fall, he said.
In fact in Barangay San Miguel a school moving up ceremony was being held and since the ash was thin, they went on with the activity with those present asked to wear masks, Mayor Rex Jalando-on said.
Bago Mayor Nicholas Yulo said ashfall was reported in barangays Ilijan, Binubuhan and Mailum in his city.
Task Force Kanlaon is prohibiting Holy Week related activities within the volcano’s 6-kilometer extended danger zone.
In a memorandum issued Saturday, April 12, the Regional Task Force Kanlaon stated that any form of pilgrimage and trekking, especially entry into the 6-kilometer Extended Danger Zone, during Holy Week is prohibited.
Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officers of local governments surrounding Mt. Kanlaon are directed to activate their Incident Management Teams and immediately place all responders on high alert status to ensure preparedness and rapid response capability, the memorandum also said.*