EDC Leads Disaster Preparedness Workshop in Bacolod

BACOLOD CITY – Energy Development Corp., in partnership with the local governments of Bago and Murcia, held a two-day disaster preparedness seminar on June 3 and 4.

The Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology was invited to provide scientific context on volcanism.

The workshop aimed to equip barangays in Bago City and the municipality of Murcia with the knowledge needed to better respond to the ongoing unrest of Mount Kanlaon.

Representatives from the Department of Education in Bago and Murcia were also in attendance.

“This is a great opportunity for us to come together with a shared purpose: to enhance our understanding and readiness for disasters, especially given Mount Kanlaon’s recent activity,” said Erwin Magallanes, EDC’s head of corporate relations in Negros.

“For many years, EDC has partnered with you on education, enterprise development and environmental projects,” he added.

“Now, we face a greater challenge—ensuring our preparedness for natural disasters, particularly the volcanic eruptions to which we are currently susceptible.”

Ma. Antonia Bornas, chief science research specialist of the DOST-PHIVOLCS Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division, opened the seminar with a lecture on volcanoes and their related hazards.

She explained how volcanoes form and what causes eruptions, emphasizing that human activity does not trigger volcanic events.

Bornas also discussed volcanoes in Regions 6 and 7, noting that Mount Kanlaon is the only active volcano in the Negros Island Region.

She identified three others as potentially active—Mandalagan, Silay and Cuernos de Negros—and Pan de Azucar in Iloilo as inactive.

She added that the Silay volcano is a candidate for reclassification as inactive.

The seminar came at a critical time, as Mount Kanlaon marked one year of unrest on June 3 with a 29-minute ash emission—exactly a year after its explosive eruption at the summit on June 3, 2024.

Mount Kanlaon is currently under Alert Level 3.

EDC’s emergency management expert Dr. Ted Esguerra complemented PHIVOLCS’ presentation with a hands-on workshop on extraction and evacuation protocols.

He drew on his experience responding to disasters, including recent deployments with the Philippine Urban Search and Rescue team in Myanmar and Turkey for earthquake response.

Esguerra emphasized the long-term health risks of repeated ashfall events from Mount Kanlaon.

Carla Mae Makilan, a Department of Education representative from Negros Occidental, said the workshop made her realize the importance of readiness.

“As an emergency responder, I need to fully equip myself and my family with the skills to survive and save more lives,” she said.