ILOILO City – The Department of Health (DOH) has issued a health advisory for residents near the erupting Kanlaon Volcano on Negros Island.
As of 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 4, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) reported 1,521 individuals affected (or 398 families) across 14 barangays in Bago City, La Carlota City, and the towns of La Castellana, Moises Padilla, and Pontevedra.
DOH Region 6 director Dr. Adriano Suba-an urged Negrenses to observe the following:
PROTECTION FROM ASH FALL
* Stay within the protection of your home or evacuation area, avoid going out unnecessarily.
* Be aware of road conditions. Strictly follow traffic laws that are being implemented.
* Prepare emergency bag (Go Bag). Bring enough supply of food, water, clothing, first aid, and medicine.
* Clean the ashes from rooftops and drains after the ash fall. Do not attempt to clean while it is still falling.
* Listen to local authority’s advice on what to do next.
EYE CARE
* Wear safety goggles to protect eyes from the ash fall.
* Avoid using contact lenses. If available, use eyeglasses temporary.
* Avoid rubbing the eyes. If irritated, rinse eyes with lukewarm running water.
* Consult a doctor immediately if eye problems occur.
ENSURING FOOD SAFETY
* Wash hands properly and thoroughly before cooking and eating.
* Clean fruit and vegetables with running water.
* Check the expiration date of stored foods.
* Properly cover water containers.
RESPIRATORY CARE
* Avoid leaving the doors and windows open. Hang wet curtains to cover them
* Protect eyes and nose from particulates. Wear medical or surgical masks, dust masks, or a wet handkerchief.
* Secure supplies of asthma and allergy medicines, and use these according to the doctor’s advice.
* Consult a doctor immediately if respiratory problems occur.
According to the RDRRMC, of the 1,521 individuals displaced by the Kanlaon Volcano eruption, 368 families or 1,491 individuals moved to evacuation centers, while 30 families or 142 people stayed with relatives.
For its part, the Office of Civil Defense in Region 6 issued the following advisory:
* When notified, immediately evacuate to safe grounds.
* Assist in evacuating children, pregnant women, persons with disabilities and older people.
* Cover the mouth with wet cloth and wear protective goggles.
* Keep pets in their shelter or inside to avoid them from inhaling ash.
* Stay away from rivers and streams to avoid possible lahar flow.
On June 3 at around 6:51 p.m., an explosive eruption occurred at the summit vent of Kanlaon Volcano which produced a voluminous and incandescent plume that rapidly rose to 5,000 meters above the vent and probable short pyroclastic density currents approximately two to three kilometers down the southern and southeastern slopes, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
The eruption lasted six minutes and was preceded by a relatively strong volcano-tectonic earthquake.
Small rocks falling and the smell of sulfur were noticed by the residents in some of the barangays of Bacolod, Pontevedra, Murcia, Valladolid, San Enrique, Bago, Binalbagan and La Castellana.
Cities and municipalities of La Carlota, La Castellana, Pontevedra, San Carlos, Valladolid, and Bago experienced ashfall.
Phivolcs raised the Kanlaon Volcano alert to Level 2.
Here’s the breakdown of the displaced:
* Bago City – 42 families or 182 persons from three barangays
* La Carlota City – 14 families or 76 persons from one barangay
* La Castellana – 203 families or 842 persons from eight barangays
* Moises Padilla (Magalon) – five families or 20 persons from one barangay
* Pontevedra – 104 families or 371 persons from one barangay
As of 10 a.m. yesterday, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6 managed to release family food packs to 30 families./PN
