FOLLOWING the raising of Mt. Kanlaon’s alert level to Level 3, indicating heightened magmatic unrest, two towns in southwestern Cebu have issued advisories to residents, telling them to stay vigilant.
The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7, for its part, reported on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, that air quality in Central Visayas remains within acceptable levels following a recent eruption of the stratovolcano, which straddles the provinces of Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental.
Toledo City, which faces Negros Oriental, is among the localities in Cebu taking precautionary measures.
The City is monitoring potential impacts from the volcanic activity. On April 8, the Public Information Office (PIO) released an advisory urging its residents to maintain vigilance and monitor government announcements, following the 14 volcanic earthquakes and a sulfur dioxide flux of 1,655 tonnes at Mt. Kanlaon.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Alegria, also in southwest Cebu, issued a public advisory stating that while the town is not in close proximity to the volcano, ashfall is possible depending on wind direction and weather conditions.
Residents were advised to stay indoors, wear face masks when outside, cover water sources and protect livestock. They were also instructed to report any occurrences of ashfall, sulfur odors, or unusual health symptoms to local disaster management offices.
Meanwhile, the EMB 7 said that air quality in Central Visayas remains within acceptable guideline values following Mt. Kanlaon’s explosive eruption, which began at 5:51 a.m. Tuesday and lasted until 6:47 a.m., and produced a 4,000-meter ash plume that drifted southwest.
Cindylyn Pepito-Ochea, chief of EMB 7’s Environmental Education and Information Unit, said the current southwest wind direction is carrying the ash toward Negros Occidental.
Monitoring stations in Mabigo, Canlaon City (Negros Oriental), Toledo City and Mandaue City (Cebu) recorded sulfur dioxide and particulate matter concentrations within acceptable limits as of April 8.
The Mabigo station is located near an evacuation center, about 10 kilometers from Mt. Kanlaon. Additional monitoring was conducted in Toledo and Mandaue Cities.
EMB 7 confirmed that the wind is predominantly moving southwest, which aligns with Phivolcs’ report that ashfall is mainly expected in Negros Occidental. / CDF