OCD warns of lahar flow in 13 Negros areas

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — The Office of Civil Defense has warned of a potential lahar hazard flow from Kanlaon, which may endanger 644,487 residents in 13 cities and municipalities on Negros Island, as some areas near the volcano experienced rainfall.

Citing a hazard map issued by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the OCD identified these areas as the cities of Bago, La Carlota and Himamaylan and the towns of Pontevedra, Pulupandan, San Enrique, Valladolid, Binalbagan, Hinigaran, Isabela, La Castellana and Moises Padilla – all in Negros Occidental – and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental.

Phivolcs had warned of an increased risk of ashfall turning into lahar as it expects the development of a low-pressure area in the coming weeks.

It said the identified areas are likely to be affected by lahar flow from the estimated three million metric tons of ash deposits after the Dec. 9 eruption – a volume that is three times greater than the ash deposits recorded in June.

Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol also said in a radio interview yesterday that a hazardous eruption is still possible as he warned that magma and lahar pose a threat to affected residents around the volcano.

“Yes, (a stronger eruption is possible). That’s the reason why we raised Alert Level 3. The meaning of Alert Level 3 is that a hazardous eruption is possible in the following weeks,” Bacolcol said.

He cited some indications that another eruption will take place.

“The number of volcanic earthquakes has increased to 12. Although this is much lower than what we have measured last Sept. 11, the sulfur dioxide (emission) reached 6,535 tons per day. There is also swelling of the volcano,” Bacolcol said.

He noted that the eruption on Dec. 9 generated around three million cubic meters of magma.

“We don’t want our kababayans to spend their Christmas and New Year in evacuation centers. But we cannot control the behavior of the volcano. So again when we say Alert Level 3, a possible hazardous eruption may take place in the coming weeks. As to when exactly, we cannot say. We assess this on a day-to-day basis,” Bacolcol said.

P1.39 million damage to agriculture

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture (DA) yesterday said the damage brought by Kanlaon’s eruption to the agriculture sector has reached P1.39 million.

Based on the latest bulletin from the DA’s operations center, at least 21 hectares of plantations were affected by ashfall and lahar. It also reported a production loss of at least 49 metric tons affecting 40 farmers.

The DA said the damage to rice production totaled P620,280 covering 16 hectares, with a production loss of 27 metric tons. Damage to high-value crops, it added, reached P420,400 covering 0.84 hectares and a production loss of eight MT.

“In response to the needs of farmers affected by the Kanlaon volcanic activity, the department is providing various forms of assistance, including agricultural inputs such as rice and corn seeds, as well as drugs and biologics for livestock animals from regional field office 6,” the DA said.

It added that the agency’s Quick Response Fund is available for the rehabilitation and recovery of affected areas.

Affected farmers can avail themselves of a P25,000 loan from the Survival and Recovery loan program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council. The loan is payable in three years at zero interest.