BACOLOD CITY – The Incident Management Team (IMT) of La Castellana town, Negros Occidental province has appealed to government agencies to clear volcanic debris clogging the Bagacay and Tamburong Creeks in Barangay Biak na Bato as the area faces severe flooding risks amid the rainy weather.

Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer John de Asis said debris carried by mudflow or lahar from the Kanlaon Volcano’s eruptions in June 2024 and May this year has significantly reduced creek depth from six meters to just two or three, posing a major hazard.

These creeks, which flow directly from Kanlaon’s crater, are vital drainage pathways, and any overflow could endanger Biak na Bato and the rivers in the nearby towns of Moises Padilla and Binalbagan in Negros Occidental, he added.

Residents living between the two waterways are at high risk, as the creeks pose a serious danger of lahar overflow during heavy rains.

De Asis noted that during typhoon ‘’Crising’’ last month, volcanic debris worsened the siltation, triggering floods. About nine households have already been advised to evacuate to the barangay hall during heavy rainfall.

However, because the area is within the Mount Kanlaon Natural Park (MKNP), any dredging or debris removal requires prior approval, he said.

Given the urgency of the situation, the IMT has appealed to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) to act swiftly.

“The creeks are at a critical point. These waterways, once natural channels for the discharge from Mount Kanlaon, are heavily silted and dangerously constricted,” the IMT wrote on its social media page.

“With heavy rains, they are at high risk of unleashing the full force of water’s strong current and carrying with it stones, boulders, and debris from the volcano’s discharge,” the IMT warned, stressing that inaction could lead to loss of lives and destruction of property.

It stressed that overflow is no longer a distant threat as it is an imminent danger that can strike at any moment of sustained rainfall.

In response, the PAMB en banc, chaired by DENR-Negros Island Region (NIR) officer-in-charge Regional Executive Director Charlie Fabre, sought the DENR Secretary’s approval for emergency dredging, provided the removed materials are not hauled away.

Before final approval of the request, PAMB passed Resolution No. 17 directing the provincial government, DPWH, and other concerned agencies to prepare a long-term dredging plan within the jurisdiction of the MKNP.

This directive was reinforced through Resolution No. 18, which explicitly prohibits the local government unit and the barangay from undertaking any dredging or removal activities in the silted areas without proper approval.

Fabre said hat all actions must align with legal and environmental standards, warning that violations, like those previously seen in Bohol and Cebu, may result in sanctions.

The IMT stressed that this is not just a matter of prevention but a matter of survival. “We are running out of time. The community of Barangay Biak na Bato is united in its plea: Act now before disaster strikes,” it stated.

De Asis acknowledged that dredging is a long-term solution that involves technicalities to process and get approval from concerned agencies. He noted that what they currently need is the immediate removal of the debris as an initial step in addressing the situation.

Incident Commander Remuel Lajo visited the site on Tuesday, Aug. 26, and assessed the current situation of the affected area flooded due to intense rain on Monday night, Aug. 25. He reiterated their call for an immediate action.

Vice Mayor Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan said that she has relayed this concern to the DENR regional director, who is working out to get clearance from the national agency through the DENR Secretary.