Mt. Kanlaon eruption displaces more people

Metro Manila, Philippines - Kanlaon Volcano’s latest eruption has displaced more people in Western Visayas, authorities reported on Wednesday, April 9.

Data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed over 130 more families were affected by what officials described as a “moderately explosive eruption” on Tuesday, bringing the total number to over 8,000 families equivalent to more than 25,000 people.

The NDRRMC said 48,850 affected residents were listed in Western and Central Visayas, with less than a tenth still in temporary shelters since the eruption on Dec. 9.

“There was a slight increase on the recorded number of affected families, but we can manage as we have more than 2.6 million boxes of FFPs (family food packs), as well as non-food items prepositioned in our warehouses nationwide which we can immediately tap to augment affected LGUs’ (local government units) resources,” Social Welfare Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a statement.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development has called for volunteers to help in the production of family food packs for affected families. 

Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense in Western Visayas said fire trucks from nearby localities have been deployed to La Carlota City to clear roads of thick ash which hit 12 villages.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology maintained Alert Level 3 or “magmatic unrest” over the volcano, advising locals against entering the six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone.