Kanlaon acts up anew, spews ash

Ashfall was forecast in the cities of La Carlota and Bago in Negros Occidental after Mount Kanlaon released ash in two separate events on Monday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Phivolcs reported that the first ash emission began at 11:52 a.m. and lasted until 2:12 p.m., producing an ash plume that rose 800 meters above the summit crater and drifted westward and southwestward. A second event at 2:53 p.m. generated a 600-meter plume that drifted in a west-northwest direction.

Phivolcs’ 24-hour monitoring recorded 1,930 metric tons of sulfur dioxide emissions and 33 volcanic earthquakes.

Since the 8 April eruption, Kanlaon’s ash emissions have decreased to between 50 and 200 meters in height, with sulfur dioxide emissions ranging from 1,633 to 2,202 metric tons.

Alert Level 3 remains in effect, indicating that magma is near or at the surface and a hazardous eruption may occur within weeks.

Office of Civil Defense Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, during his visit to La Carlota City, announced that the government has allocated additional funds for affected residents on Negros Island.

Meanwhile, La Castellana Mayor Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan, who has requested an additional P47 million in aid, said the funds would help at least 4,200 individuals impacted by Kanlaon’s earlier eruption in December.