Negrenses already have been warned for months, if not years, on the dangers of an eruption of Kanlaon Volcano, one of the 24 active volcanoes in our archipelago that lies on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire. But because nothing had happened for years, the warnings and the dangers have somehow been pushed to the back of our minds, and while we have learned to live with it, we may have also put our guards down.
Inevitably, on Monday night, the active and recently restless volcano erupted, sending a five-kilometer high plume of ash, gas, and rocks into the sky.
So far, nearly 1,491 people have been displaced, as 84 barangays of 10 local government units were affected, with most of the affected seeking temporary refuge in evacuation centers. The provincial governments of Negros Occidental and Oriental have activated Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction protocols and raised alert levels in response to the emergency.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has raised Alert Level 2, indicating increasing unrest, driven shallow magmatic processes that could eventually lead to further explosive eruptions, or even a hazardous magmatic eruption, and strongly advised the public to avoid the four kilometer permanent danger zone.
The eruption of Kanlaon Volcano gives Negrenses, especially those located near it and would be affected by any eruption, another sobering warning of how we, as a whole, should always be prepared for such an eventuality. After all, it is by definition an active volcano. The speed and quality of the government response to this incident that we should’ve been prepared for will reveal the extent of our current state of preparedness as far as our resident volcano is concerned.
If the response is sufficient, then kudos should go to the government. However, if it is found wanting, then adjustments must be made as soon as possible, in all areas of the country where there are active volcanoes, in order to ensure that we are more prepared for whatever can and will happen.*
