Sugar plantation workers watch as Mount Kanlaon volcano spews ash into the air as seen from Moises Padilla town, Negros Occidental, central Philippines on 23 December 2024. Francis FABIANIA / AFP
NATION

Alert Level 3 maintained at Kanlaon

Jaff Conejos

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) reported Wednesday that Kanlaon Volcano remains in a state of intensified magmatic unrest, with Alert Level 3 still in effect.

Over the past 24 hours, volcanic activity persisted, with 19 volcanic earthquakes recorded —four more than the previous day.

PHIVOLCS also noted a significant drop in sulfur dioxide emissions, totaling 3,503 tons, and a 150-meter plume that drifted west and southwest.

The volcano's edifice remains inflated, suggesting magma accumulation beneath the surface, which increases pressure and causes ground swelling.

PHIVOLCS has urged people within a 6-kilometer radius of the summit to evacuate immediately. Authorities have maintained a no-fly zone around the volcano and cautioned the public about potential hazards, including explosive eruptions, lava flows, ashfall, pyroclastic currents, rockfalls, and lahars during heavy rain.