The Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) of La Carlota City has recommended a ban on outdoor mass gatherings citing the continuing danger posed by restive Kanlaon Volcano.
The DRRMC cited recent Kanlaon Volcano ash emissions that hit La Carlota City and the warning by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology that it could be a build up to a major eruption.
The DRRMC recommended to Mayor Rex Jalando-on the issuance of an executive order banning mass outdoor gatherings, especially at the La Carlota City public plaza and the Doña Hortencia Salas Benedicto National High School oval.
Mass gatherings during volcanic unrest can heighten community vulnerability and impede emergency response operations, it said.
The DRRMC also urged the public to wear face masks outdoors. Volcanic ash exposure can cause respiratory issues, eye and skin irritation, and other health risks, particularly in open or poorly ventilated areas, it said.
All activities at the La Carlota City Gymnasium and oval are also cancelled from April 26 in preparation for possible evacuations, it added.*