President Marcos on Tuesday, June 4, promised all those affected by the Kanlaon Volcano eruption of the government’s support and immediate assistance to ensure their welfare.
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (Photo from the Presidential Communications Office)
He said in a video message that a whole-of-government approach has been activated, ensuring that the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are on top of the situation.
“Namigay na tayo ng mga sleeping kits sa La Castellana at may 13,000 family food packs na ang naka-preposition sa Negros Island at may karagdagang 40,000 food packs at iba pang non-food items na paparating (We already provided sleeping kits in La Castellana and there are 13,000 family food packs prepositioned in Negros Island and an additional 40,000 food packs and other non-food items will soon arrive),” the President shared.
“Naka-standby din ang ating mga air asset para mas mabilis na pag-responde. Tinitiyak ko na ang ating pamahalaan ay handa at patuloy na nagbibigay ng suporta hanggang makabalik nang ligtas ang lahat sa kanilang mga tahanan (Our air assets are on standby for a faster response. I assure you that the government is always ready and will continue to provide support until everyone can go back to their homes safely).”
On Monday, June 3, Phivolcs reported a phreatic eruption at Kanlaon Volcano that reached 5,000 meters high.
With the eruption, which occurred at Kanlaon’s summit vent at 6:51 p.m. and lasted for six minutes, the agency raised Alert Level 2, or increasing unrest, in the volcano.
The alert level, Marcos said, was raised to ensure the safety of the residents since there are currently around 170 families, or 796 individuals, affected by the volcano’s eruption and are now in evacuation centers.
He then called on the residents, especially those living close to the affected area, to remain vigilant and to refrain from staying inside the four-kilometer radius permanent danger zone.
The Chief Executive also urged them to heed the guidelines and the reminders of the local authorities.