Air quality in Cebu, Negros still safe amid Kanlaon eruption

CEBU, Philippines — As Mt. Kanlaon released a powerful eruption at dawn yesterday, spewing a massive plume of ash into the sky, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) in Central Visayas moved quickly to assure the public that air quality in Cebu and Negros Oriental remains within safe levels.

At exactly 5:51 a.m. yesterday, April 8, 2025, Mt. Kanlaon emitted a vast gray plume that rose approximately 4,000 meters above its summit following a 56-minute-long eruption.

The moderately explosive eruption caused ashfall in parts of Negros Occidental, including La Castellana and Pontevedra. Even prior the eruption, Alert Level 3 has been raised for Kanlaon, meaning the volcano is showing a high level of activity and could erupt again.

In response, DENR-EMB-7 closely monitored air quality in key areas across Central Visayas, including Cebu and Negros Oriental, and recorded pollutant levels still within acceptable limits set by national standards.

The bureau installed a monitoring station in Barangay Mabigo, Canlaon City, just 10 kilometers from the volcano’s crater, as well as near an evacuation center at Macario Española Elementary School.

Two other monitoring stations in Toledo City and Mandaue City were also activated to evaluate whether the volcanic plume had impacted Cebu’s air quality.

These stations are equipped to detect concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter, specifically PM10 and PM2.5—pollutants commonly associated with volcanic activity and known to pose respiratory risks. PM2.5 and PM10 are tiny particles floating in the air and both can be inhaled and affect health, but PM2.5 is more dangerous as it can penetrate deeper into the lungs.

As of the readings posted by DENR-EMB yesterday, all three monitoring sites reported pollutant levels within “good” or safe limits, easing public concerns amid the ongoing Alert Level 3 status.

Data also showed prevailing wind directions remain mostly stable, moving from northeast to southwest. This aligns with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) projection that ashfall would primarily affect areas in Negros Occidental and that Cebu would most likely not be impacted.

PHIVOLCS confirmed that pyroclastic density currents descended about a kilometer from the crater’s southern slopes, posing a threat to communities within the permanent danger zone.

Large ballistic fragments were also emitted, some igniting fires near the summit. Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities have been reported so far.

In Negros Occidental, residents of La Carlota City, La Castellana, and Bago City observed light ashfall and strong sulfurous fumes, with the strongest odor experienced in Barangay Cubay.

PHIVOLCS reported a decline in sulfur dioxide emissions from 4,014 tonnes/day in June 2024 to 1,655 tonnes/day just before the eruption.

“These parameters indicate that the blockage of volcanic gas emission (or closed-system degassing) and resulting pressurization and swelling of the edifice drive a moderately explosive eruption at Kanlaon,” their report reads.

With the increased volcanic activity, entry into the four-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone of Mt. Kanlaon remains strictly prohibited due to the risk of sudden explosions and rockfalls.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced that it is on standby.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the agency has over 250,000 family food packs (FFPs) prepositioned in key areas of Western and Central Visayas, ready for immediate distribution.

Apart from food, more than P865 million worth of non-food items—hygiene kits, kitchen sets, sleeping kits, and laminated sacks—are also ready for dispatch.

“As I speak, our Field Offices in Western and Central Visayas are closely coordinating with affected local government units (LGUs) so we can get real-time updates on the status of affected families, and their need for more provisions of family food packs and non-food items,” said Gatchalian in a press release

“Help is coming their way, so the first thing that they should prioritize is their safety. We will see to it that all our resources will be pooled to also assure their comfort,” he added.

In line with relief efforts, the National Nutrition Council-7 (NNC-7), in partnership with Helen Keller International, is also mobilizing to address the nutritional needs of displaced families.

The NNC-7 announced that it will conduct an urgent training program in the coming days to empower Barangay Nutrition Clusters (BNCs) to provide Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) support to affected communities.

“This situation presents a critical risk to the nutritional status of infants and young children. Infants, children under two, and pregnant or lactating mothers are especially vulnerable in these situations. To mitigate this risk, NNC-7 with funding support from Helen Keller International will train BNC teams to offer immediate, life-saving nutrition services,” NNC-7 said in a statement.

The training will cover exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding for children aged six months to two years, support for breastfeeding mothers, hygiene and sanitation, and community-based nutrition interventions.

Helen Keller International's main goal is to combat malnutrition, blindness, and preventable diseases. Their efforts focus on sustainable, community-based programs that improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations, especially women and children.

With Mt. Kanlaon showing sustained unrest, coordinated government responses across environmental, health, and humanitarian agencies aim to protect lives and ensure that displaced communities receive both immediate and long-term support. — (FREEMAN)