Residents in several villages near Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Occidental are now facing increased ashfall, prompting local authorities to recommend wearing masks for protection. The Murcia Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) reported on Tuesday that ashfall has reached Barangay Minoyan, advising residents to use face masks due to the ongoing volcanic activity of Kanlaon.
Mt. Kanlaon remains under Alert Level 2, indicating increased unrest following its explosive eruption on June 3. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) noted two ash emission events in the last 24 hours, each lasting between four and eleven minutes. On Monday, the volcano emitted 3,579 tonnes of sulfur dioxide and produced a 600-meter-high plume, classified as moderate with continuous degassing and occasional ash emissions.
Last Saturday, an ash emission event lasted over an hour, creating light-gray plumes that ascended 750 meters above the crater. Following this, traces of ash and sulfurous fumes were detected in Barangay Yubo, La Carlota City, and Barangay Sag-ang, La Castellana. On November 7, due to a strong sulfur smell and light ashfall, tourism employees at Rafael Salas Park and Nature Center in Barangay Ilijan, Bago City, were told not to report to work.
Last week, thin layers of gray ash were observed in Barangays Biak Na Bato, Cabacungan, and Cabagnaan in La Castellana. Despite no reported increase in respiratory issues, the Provincial Health Office, led by Dr. Ma. Girlie Pinongan, continues to urge residents to wear masks or use clean cloths during ash emissions to protect their health.