Guv Seeks Prayers as Kanlaon Unrest Continues, Evacuation Ready if Needed

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY — Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he continues to seek divine intervention and is asking for prayers for Mount Kanlaon to simmer down amid reports that magma is nearing the volcano’s crater.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Lacson noted that one of the possible culminating activities of Kanlaon’s unrest could be lava flow.

“If there’s a major one that will help ease the pressure in Kanlaon, that could be the culminating activity,” he said.

However, he acknowledged the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has warned that the volcano could also experience a major eruption, which he personally believes would be more dangerous.

“I’ve always asked for divine intervention, but if that is not possible, we will just have to be ready for whatever happens,” he said.

Lacson added that while Kanlaon remains at Alert Level 3, evacuation is not yet required.

“But if there is a major eruption, there is no other choice but to evacuate people who will be affected,” he said.

“I just hope it will not be disastrous, but we’ve already been told that a culminating activity will happen before Kanlaon calms down,” he reiterated.

Magmatic Activity

Earlier, Phivolcs reported that magma is now less than five kilometers from the volcano’s crater.

Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said Monday that they are closely monitoring the rising magma.

“If the magma nears the crater, it becomes swollen, which indicates that it is accumulating near the crater,” he explained.

However, he clarified that inflation is still occurring only on the eastern side of the volcano, not throughout its entirety.

Kanlaon remains under Alert Level 3, signifying magmatic unrest, Bacolcol stressed.

Phivolcs also reported a significant drop in sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions, from an average of more than 4,000 tons since June 3 last year to 2,183 tons on Feb. 9.

Additionally, no ash emissions have been recorded since Feb. 7, which may suggest that the volcanic conduit is plugged, causing pressure buildup that could trigger an explosion, Bacolcol warned.

He noted similar conditions preceded Kanlaon’s eruptions on Dec. 9, 2023, and Feb. 6 this year.

Possible Scenarios

Bacolcol outlined three possible scenarios for the volcano’s activity:

1. Slow Magma Rise: Lava may overflow from the crater, similar to last year’s activity at Mount Mayon, with damage confined to small areas. However, it took six months for magma activity to weaken in that case.
2. Fast Magma Rise and Plugged Conduit: This could result in a strong eruption and hazardous pyroclastic density currents (PDCs), potentially expanding the danger zone up to 10 kilometers. Bacolcol noted that while this scenario would cause a rapid release of magma, the eruption would likely be short-lived.
3. Magma Movement Weakens: If magma movement slows down, Kanlaon’s activity may eventually stop, allowing the alert level to be lowered from 3 to 2.

“As of now, we are not yet at the second scenario,” Bacolcol said.