BACOLOD City – Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson yesterday raised the alert status of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) Emergency Operations Center to red alert due to the explosion of Kanlaon Volcano on Monday afternoon, December 9.
In a memorandum issued by the governor, the red alert status was effective 8 a.m. yesterday, December 10.
At 3:03 p.m. on Monday, Kanlaon Volcano erupted, producing a voluminous plume that rapidly rose to 3,000 meters above the vent and drifted west-southwest.
Pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) descended the slopes on the general southeastern edifice.
Following this, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) raised the Alert Level of the volcano from Alert Level 2 (increasing unrest) to Alert Level 3 (magmatic unrest).
“This means magmatic eruption has begun that may progress to further explosive eruptions,” read part of Gov. Lacson’s memorandum.
The governor further said response clusters were activated to facilitate the emergency response and humanitarian assistance in response to the effects of the volcanic eruption.
These are the Camp coordination and camp management cluster; logistics cluster; law and order cluster; food and non-food cluster; health cluster; and education cluster.
Concerned offices, agencies and respective local disaster risk reduction management councils and emergency operations center are advised to closely monitor respective areas of responsibility (AOR) and send updates through the email address negocc.commandcenter@gmail.com, Gov. Lacson said./PN