THE Mount Kanlaon in Negros Island continues to exhibit “moderate level of unrest” as it recorded 53 volcanic earthquakes over the past 24 hours.
However, Zeaphard Gerhart Caelian, head of Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Division, said the volcanic quakes recorded by the seismic monitoring network of Mount Kanlaon are “not serious.”
He said volcanic activities have dwindled in the past days, “it could decrease or increase today. We will see,” he added.
On November 25, six volcanic quakes were recorded by Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
Mount Kanlaon remained on Alert Level 2, which means that the volcano is undergoing a moderate level of unrest.
Caelian said planning sessions for various stakeholders and local government units (LGUs) are set in the coming days to intensify preparations and monitoring.
On November 15, the Phivolcs has raised the alert status of Mount Kanlaon from Alert Level 1 to Alert Level 2 after it recorded 279 volcanic earthquakes.
Although the volcanic quakes have declined in the past days, the agency didn’t lower Mount Kanlaon’s alert status.
LGUs in the province had already prepared a comprehensive contingency plan in case there will be major eruption. This includes their evacuation plans like the setting up of drop off points and evacuation centers.
Caelian earlier identified the "most probable areas" in the province that will be affected by the volcanic eruption.
These are the cities of San Carlos, Bago, and La Carlota and the towns of Murcia, La Castellana, Moises Padilla and Salvador Benedicto, which are under the four-kilometer danger zone.
If based on the pathway of lahar, localities that will be affected include the cities of San Carlos, Bago, La Carlota and Himamaylan and the towns of Pontevedra, Pulupandan, San Enrique, Valladolid, Hinigaran, Binalbagan, La Castellana, Moises Padilla and Isabela, he said.
Caelian urged the residents and the localities to continue to be alert and be prepared.
“Let us also pray it will not escalate,” he added.
Based on the Phivolcs bulletin released Sunday, no degassing activity was observed during times when the summit crater was visible.
Ground deformation data from continuous GPS measurements indicate slight inflation of the edifice since December 2015, it said.
The agency added there is probable intrusion of magma at depth which may or may not lead to a magmatic eruption.
It also reminded the LGUs and the public that entry into the four-kilometer radius permanent danger zone (PDZ) is strictly prohibited due to the further possibilities of sudden and hazardous steam-driven or phreatic eruptions while civil aviation authorities must also advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ejecta from any sudden phreatic eruption can be hazardous to aircraft. (MPE/TDE)