• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Thirty-one barangays in four central Negros towns and cities experienced ashfall and reported sulfuric odors following a 17-minute ash emission at Kanlaon Volcano at 12:50 a.m. on February 13, as reported by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
The ash emission generated plumes that rose about 300 meters above the crater before drifting southwest, PHIVOLCS said.
A report of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office indicated that ashfall and sulfuric smell were experienced by residents of Binubuhan, Ilijan, Ma-ao and Mailum barangays in Bago City; the villages of Antipolo, Mabini, Gomez, Poblacion 1, 2 and 3, Zamora, Burgos, Recreo, San Juan, Miranda, Rizal, DSB and Pandan, all in Pontevedra;
Barangays of Robles, Sag-ang, Camandag and Mansalanao in La Castellana, as well as villages of Ara-al, Yubo, San Miguel, Haguimit, La Granja, RSB, Nagasi, Cubay and Balabag, in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental.
PHIVOLCS also recorded 14 volcanic quakes at Kanlaon Volcano.
As volcano ground deformation continues, Alert Level 2 remains in effect, as PHIVOLCS raised the possibility of possible hazard occurrence, such as sudden steam-driven phreatic eruptions and precursory magmatic activity.*
