Kanlaon acts up anew, ashfall prompts evacs

A moderate explosion at Mount Kanlaon in Canlaon, Negros Oriental was recorded by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Thursday afternoon.

In a video released by the agency on its social media accounts, the volcano was seen emitting a dark gray plume hat shot about two kilometers up at 4:38 p.m.

Phivolcs said the volcanic activity lasted some two minutes and generated a pyroclastic density current that traveled approximately one kilometer southwest of the crater.

Despite the eruption, Mount Kanlaon remained under Alert Level 2, a status it has held for the past several weeks.

Entry into the volcano’s four-kilometer permanent danger zone remains strictly prohibited as the agency continues to closely monitor its activity.

In the 24-hour observation period prior to the explosion, Phivolcs recorded a total of 10 volcanic earthquakes in the vicinity of Kanlaon. The volcano also emitted 346 tons of sulfur dioxide flux on Wednesday, 18 February.

Mask on

Thursday’s event marked the sixth moderate explosion at Kanlaon in the past two years, with the last eruption recorded on 24 October 2025.

Following reports of ash fall, the local government of La Carlota City distributed masks to the affected barangays as part of its immediate response efforts.

Executive Assistant Alvin Politico said the city ensured that protective masks reached the residents of affected areas, while the authorities urged families in high-risk zones to evacuate as a precaution.

Politico said the La Carlota Emergency Council was convening an emergency meeting to assess the situation and coordinate response measures.

Evacuees from Sitio Guintubdan in Barangay Ara-al, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, were transferred to the La Carlota South Elementary School 2, which is being used as a temporary evacuation center.

Mount Kanlaon is among the country’s active volcanoes that are being closely monitored, along with Taal Volcano in Batangas and Mayon Volcano in Albay, which have also had periods of heightened activity.