Kanlaon Danger Zone Entry Suspended Amid Quake Surge

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY – Entry into the six-kilometer extended danger zone of Mount Kanlaon was suspended anew on Monday, June 23, 2025, and will remain off-limits until further notice.

In an advisory, the Regional Task Force Kanlaon also halted all human activity within the danger zone due to increased volcanic activity and the threat of another eruption.

The task force said access to the EDZ from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. for farming and other essential tasks is now prohibited starting June 24.

The suspension will remain in effect until further notice, the advisory said.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported 67 volcanic earthquakes as of Sunday midnight, along with sulfur dioxide emissions of 75 tonnes per day (as of June 22) and continuous degassing that generated a 950-meter-high plume drifting north-northeast.

Donato Sermeno III, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense for Negros Island, said the activity may be a precursor to another eruption.

He cited previous eruptions where PHIVOLCS observed a rise in volcanic quakes and a drop in SO2 emissions before an explosion.

PHIVOLCS explained that plugging of the volcanic conduit and reduced sulfur dioxide emissions can cause pressure buildup, potentially triggering eruptions.

Sermeno said the 67 recorded quakes were the highest number he could recall for Kanlaon.

“It is alarming,” he said.

Alert Level 3 remains in effect over Mount Kanlaon.