BACOLOD CITY (Azat TV) – Residents across Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental remain under heightened vigilance this weekend as Kanlaon Volcano recorded a series of explosive ash emissions between March 20 and March 21, 2026. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) confirmed that multiple ash-producing events occurred, prompting immediate disaster management protocols across the Negros Island Region.
Ongoing volcanic activity and ashfall risks
The latest volcanic activity began on Friday night, with ash emissions recorded at 9:02 p.m. and 11:23 p.m., followed by another significant event at 5:58 a.m. on Saturday. According to Phivolcs, these episodes produced plumes reaching approximately 500 meters above the summit, which subsequently drifted toward the south and southwest. The state volcanology bureau reported four distinct episodes of ash emission, with individual events lasting between 43 and 184 minutes.
In addition to the visible plumes, monitoring stations captured five volcanic earthquakes, including two tremors that lasted between 98 and 109 minutes. Phivolcs has maintained Alert Level 2, signaling that current conditions remain unstable and that the risk of further explosive activity persists. Entry into the 4-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone is strictly prohibited, and aviation authorities have issued warnings against flying aircraft in the immediate vicinity of the crater.
Disaster management and regional preparedness
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has moved to mobilize response clusters to manage the potential impact of prolonged ashfall on local communities. Donato Sermeno III, Director of the Office of Civil Defence-NIR, confirmed that regional authorities held emergency meetings to coordinate logistics and ensure that essential supplies, including food and non-food items, are prepositioned for rapid deployment.
These precautions are part of a broader strategy to mitigate risks should the situation escalate to Alert Level 3. Response teams specializing in search and rescue, as well as camp management, are currently on standby. The urgency of these preparations follows a period of heightened instability, with Kanlaon having produced three moderately explosive eruptions in just over a month.
The sustained frequency of these eruptions, coupled with the proximity of local populations to the danger zone, underscores the critical need for the current, proactive stance taken by regional disaster management agencies, as they seek to transition from routine monitoring to an active emergency posture.