If your heart is a volcano how shall you expect flowers to bloom? – Khalil Gibran
The June 4 explosion of Mt. Kanlaon left certain damage to island of Negros agriculture, especially those localities surrounding the volcano in the 2 provinces. What is the extent of the damage of the eruption? Mt. Kanlaon is one of the 24 most active volcanoes in the entire country. And, while its flows provide fertility, it is believed that the recent explosion created damage to agriculture that is more than its supposed fertility to land.
EVACUATION
The Department of Social Welfare and Development said that on June 15 there were 833 families which is approximately almost 3,000 individuals that were taking shelter in 5 evacuation centers in the province of Negros Occidental alone. The department added that they all received assistance in various forms from the national government. The figure was on top of the immediate evacuation of about 700 people after the explosion on June 3 while the city of Canla-on in Negros Oriental recorded about 60,000 residents that were affected but no casualties.
This is one of the significant impacts of the eruption, with its alert level reached 2, which means “a moderate level of volcanic unrest,” according to PHIVOLCS. It scattered and reached up to more than 10 kilometers from the volcano’s mouth, being the major reason for the evacuation of residents from communities surrounding the volcano. The number of barangays affected is recorded at 20, mostly from the city of Canlaon in Negros Oriental and the municipality of La Castellana in Negros Occidental. Mt. Kanlaon is almost entirely within Negros Occidental but is near the border with Negros Oriental.
AGRICULTURAL DAMAGE
The volcano’s massive ashfall caused both provinces 84.1 million pesos in damage to crops, including fisheries. For both regions 6 and 7 the total damage reached 104 million pesos, as confirmed by the Agriculture Department.
Canlaon City belongs to region 7, while the rest of the municipalities and cities around Mt. Kanlaon are part of region 6.
Among the crops most affected expectedly is sugarcane. The Sugar Regulatory Administration records show that about 23,000 hectares of sugarcane fields in four sugar mill districts were affected by the eruption. For other crops, more than 800 hectares were affected for both regions. Fortunately, about 70-75% of that land can still recover, with the rest having less or no chance to recover. Other than sugarcane, the next crop that was badly damaged was rice, with about 85% of the damage belonging to region 7, which means Canlaon City. Livestock damage was reported to number in a few thousand by headcount.
The Department of Agriculture claimed that high-valued crops sustained the most damage, specifically caused by ashfall and lahar flow during the heavy rains. Sugarcane and rice are high-valued crops. The department’s bulletin showed that the total volume of crops lost is almost 4,000 metric tons, affecting almost 2000 farmers.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE
There are 5 local government units affected by the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon. Altogether the two provinces, including the affected cities and municipalities have provided a total 17.5 million pesos of assistance in various forms. The assistance included cash, food packs, and hygiene kits. For its part the DSWD extended financial and relief goods totaling to almost 26 million pesos. Naturally, the government’s reactive efforts was to support those affected by providing essential resources. No other than the President declared the government’s efforts aired on national media platforms available.
LESSONS
The “moderate” explosion of Mt. Kanlaon has reached considerable damage. For other parts of the island which were not affected, it was business as usual and activities were normal paced. Whether there was concern or not for extended damage and whether the volcano’s eruption will happen again, we can only guess that it is not a major concern for most.
For most of us, we were surprised for a moment of the eruption and felt empathy for those affected, and perhaps considered Mt. Kanlaon’s anger as just another chapter in our lives. We should be reminded that the Philippines sits in the ring of fire and is one of the countries in the world most vulnerable to natural calamities. Preparations and awareness must be in order and equipment must be adequate.
The ghost of Mt. Pinatubo still haunts those who have survived, and Mt. Kanlaon is far bigger than Mt. Pinatubo. This is a clear and present danger.*
