Himamaylan also revisits disaster plans due to Kanlaon threat

The local government of Himamaylan City also revisited its own disaster plans following the advice of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) due to the increased activity of the Kanlaon volcano.

Himamaylan Vice Mayor Justin Gatuslao said he presided over the Pre-disaster Risk Assessment meeting of the city’s Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council on Monday.

During the meeting key mobilization points such as harmonizing data gathering and banking through the Community Monitoring System were discussed.

Also discussed in the meeting was developing public advisory modules for preparedness and promote interlocal cooperation for response and mitigation.

Gatuslao said they have already identified several evacuation sites.

The city has also been chosen by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) central office as a staging area for the storage of relief supplies in case of a volcanic eruption due to its strategic geography for the both 5th and 6th districts.

Although Himamaylan is far from the volcano itself, Gatuslao said based on previous history of Kanlaon’s eruption, the city can be directly affected by potential lahar.

According to the United States Geographical Survey (USGS), lahars are masses of rock, mud, and water that travel rapidly downslope and downstream under the action of gravity.

Lahars can flow many miles downstream from the volcano and are extremely destructive.

Gatuslao added that Himamaylan also served as the evacuation site for residents of the towns of La Castellana and Moises Padilla during past eruptions.

Last week, PHIVOLCS Director Dr. Renato Solidum said they currently don’t see a need to increase Kanlaon’s Alert Level. However, he emphasized that local chief executives must revisit their disaster preparedness plans.

Among the local government units in Negros Occidental that have heeded Solidum’s advice are the cities of San Carlos and Bago, and the town of La Castellana.

Kanlaon volcano showed increased activity early last week but in recent days seemed to have quieted down.

As of today, July 12, PHIVOLCS has only monitored four volcanic earthquakes.

A weak emission plume was also observed around 50 meters tall and drifting to the northwest. The volcano’s edifice has also slightly inflated.

Kanlaon remains under Alert Level 1. Entry to the permanent four-kilometer danger zone is prohibited.* (DGB)