DSWD chief rushes to Negros Oriental, oversees disaster response

Secretary Rex Gatchalian of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) flew to Negros Oriental on Tuesday to personally oversee disaster response operations for families affected by the volcanic activity of Mt. Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island.

Accompanied by DSWD Undersecretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Diana Rose Cajipe, Gatchalian will also participate in a coordination meeting with the relevant local government units (LGUs).

Following the “explosive eruption” of the volcano on 3 June, Gatchalian promptly convened with DSWD Field Office-6 (Western Visayas) regional director Carmelo N. Nochete and Field Office-7 (Central Visayas) regional director Shalaine Marie Lucero to strategize disaster response efforts, prioritizing the safety and welfare of affected families in their respective regions.

“We must demonstrate our proactive approach to handling the situation, anticipating potential escalation. While hoping for minimal damage, we must prepare for the worst,” Gatchalian said.

During the meeting, Gatchalian stressed the urgency of swift and efficient action, directing the prepositioning of 20,000 family food packs (FFPs) each in Negros Island and Bacolod City by Thursday or Friday of the same week, in addition to the existing stockpile available at the Field Offices.

Presently, there are 72,235 boxes of FFPs ready for distribution at DSWD Western Visayas and Central Visayas field offices.

Worst case

“We must brace ourselves for the worst-case scenario. Hence, it’s imperative for you, the concerned regional directors, to maintain constant communication with the Central Office, actively engage with local leaders, and stay vigilant,” instructed Gatchalian to the DSWD Field Offices.

Additionally, Gatchalian directed the concerned Field Offices to deploy their Mobile Command Centers (MCCs) to facilitate real-time coordination and communication among national and local government agencies.

“Deploy your Mobile Command Centers outside evacuation centers,” emphasized Gatchalian.

The MCC, equipped with state-of-the-art Information and Communications Technology (ICT) equipment, surveillance and communication devices, power supply, and other essential electronic equipment, serves as a vital resource during disasters and emergencies.

According to the 4 June, 6 a.m. report by the Disaster Response and Management Bureau (DRMB), a total of 170 families, comprising 796 individuals from eight barangays across Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental provinces, have been affected by the volcanic eruption.

Currently, 69 families or 303 individuals are taking temporary shelter in five evacuation centers across Kanlaon City in Negros Oriental, and Bago City, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, and Pontevedra towns in Negros Occidental.

The DSWD has already provided sleeping kits worth more than P48,800 to families in evacuation centers in La Castellana town, Negros Occidental.

The DSWD maintains P2.7 billion in standby funds and a stockpile available for augmentation.

The agency urges the public to remain vigilant and avoid the four-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) to minimize risks from explosions, rockfalls, landslides and ashfalls.

Over the past 24 hours, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has documented 43 volcanic earthquakes in Kanlaon Volcano on Negros Island.

At 6:51 p.m. on Monday, the seismology bureau reported an ongoing eruption at the volcano, characterized by a significant emission rising to 5,000 meters and drifting southwest and south-southeast.

Simmering down

Phivolcs also observed inflation in Kanlaon’s edifice. Consequently, due to the heightened level of volcanic unrest, Alert Level 2 was raised in Kanlaon on the same day at 8 p.m. A ‘blue alert’ was concurrently issued for Negros Occidental.

However, as of 5:50 a.m. on Tuesday, volcanic activity in Kanlaon has subsided.

Engr. Mari Andylene Quintia, a resident volcanologist at Kanlaon Volcano Observatory, said: “We recorded only one eruption. After that, it [subsided].”

She further explained that post-eruption tremor events, although typically occurring for several days, were small in magnitude.

Presently, 1,562 individuals, or 210 families, from Negros Occidental are seeking refuge in evacuation centers. Entry into the four-kilometer-radius permanent danger zone and flying aircraft near the volcano’s summit remains prohibited. The public is cautioned against potential hazards, including steam-driven or phreatic eruptions.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said it will assist overseas Filipino workers (OFW) affected by flight cancellations following the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon.

In an advisory, the agency said it has alerted its offices in Region 6 and international airports across the country to assist OFWs.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) canceled all flights at the Bacolod-Silay airport on Tuesday morning due to the eruption.

“Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac instructed the department’s Regional Office 6 and, its attached agency, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration’s offices to assist outbound and inbound OFWs,” the DMW said.

Meanwhile, CAAP said afternoon flights at Bacolod-Silay International Airport may resume depending on Mt. Kanlaon’s volcanic activity.

The volcano — which erupted for six minutes -— was placed on Alert Level 2 by the Phivolcs.

Flights canceled

As of 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, 4 June 2024, the CAAP and the Manila International Airport Authority have jointly announced the cancellation of a total of 74 domestic flights originating from or heading to NAIA and other nearby domestic hubs.

This decision comes in response to the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon and the presence of volcanic ash in the surrounding atmosphere, posing a significant risk to aircraft engines if ingested.

CAAP issued Notice to Airmen B1995/24, updating B1989/24, which was in effect from 8:17 p.m. on 3 June to 6:51 p.m. on 4 June. The warning level was escalated from Alert level 1 to Alert level 2, with a vertical extension of volcanic ash cloud reaching 1640 feet or 5000 meters.