Negros island: Local government units (LGUs) near Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Island distributed face masks amid the ashfall warning after the volcano's moderately explosive eruption on Thursday afternoon. In Negros Occidental, more than 40 villages in six cities and municipalities reported light to moderate ashfall, following the explosive event that was immediately followed by 40 minutes of continuous ash emission, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said in a report.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Office of Civil Defense - Negros Island Region (OCD-NIR) reported on Friday that Bago City provided 1,000 pieces of face masks to residents of Barangay Ilijan, while La Castellana distributed face masks in Barangay Sag-ang. 'We are coordinating with concerned LGUs for situation updates and conducted inventory of available assets and pre-positioned non-food items,' OCD-NIR Director Donato Sermeno III said.
At its warehouse here, the OCD-NIR has an inventory of 14,702 pieces of N95 face masks and 15,000 pieces of safety goggles, while the Department of Health (DOH) - NIR has 1.974 million pieces of available face masks. On Friday, DOH-NIR personnel also distributed face masks to residents of La Castellana. In Department Memorandum 2026-0056, the DOH provides public health guidance on volcanic hazards and their potential effects.
Residents of areas affected by the ashfall have been advised to stay indoors and close all doors and windows. 'Use N95 masks if available. Any medical mask or even folded clothes may help if N95 masks are not on hand. Use eye protection like goggles,' the DOH advisory stated. On Friday, La Carlota City and La Castellana suspended classes, while Moises Padilla shifted from face-to-face classes to alternative delivery modes of learning.
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental's Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported that 195 individuals or 60 families in two cities have been evacuated after the latest explosive eruption of Mt. Kanlaon. These include 34 families, or 115 persons, from Barangay Ara-al in La Carlota City, and 26 families, or 80 individuals, from Barangay Ilijan in Bago City.
Sulfurous fumes were also reported in some barangays of La Carlota, Bago, and Moises Padilla, according to the Phivolcs report. 'The eruption generated a shock wave, which was heard as a booming sound and felt beyond 30 km. of the crater,' it added.
