THE Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded on Friday four volcanic earthquakes in Mt. Kanlaon, an active volcano in Negros Island that remains under alert level 1.
In its advisory, Phivolcs said that its seismic monitoring network has recorded four eruptions in the last 24 hours.
Phivolcs said that two of the three earthquakes that happened at 5:30 a.m. on Friday were accompanied with a low-energy ash eruption.
The one-minute volcanic earthquake produced a grayish to dirty-white cloud of ash reaching a height of 600 meters.
Phivolcs said that traces of ashes were observed at San Jose, La Castellana on the Southwest slope of Kanlaon Volcano.
Mt. Kanlaon remains under alert level 1 meaning the volcano, which is located approximately 36 kilometers southeast of Bacolod City, is at an abnormal condition and has entered a period of unrest.
With this, Phivolcs forbids anyone from entering the four-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone "due to the further possibilities of sudden and hazardous steam-driven or phreatic eruptions."
Phivolcs said that civil aviation authorities must also advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit, as ejects from any sudden phreatic eruption can be hazardous to aircraft.
On November 24, Phivolcs placed Mt. Kanlaon, the third most active volcano in the Philippines under alert level 1 after series of volcanic eruptions. (Sunnex)