Kanlaon quiets down

MANILA, Philippines — The number of volcanic earthquakes around Mt. Kanlaon declined in the past 24 hours, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported yesterday.

From 1,217 quakes recorded on Friday, Phivolcs said there were only 149 as of 8 a.m. yesterday.

Mt. Kanlaon remains under alert level 2, which means  the volcano is undergoing a moderate level of unrest.

Phivolcs recorded 1,007 volcanic quakes on Thursday and 578 on Wednesday.

Zeaphard Gerhart Caelian, Negros Occidental disaster management program head, urged the public to remain vigilant for any emergency.

Phivolcs said there could be degassing at the active vents, which were not observed due to thick clouds covering the crater.

Ground deformation data from continuous GPS measurements indicated slight inflation of the edifice since December 2015, it added.

Phivolcs urged concerned local government units to ensure that the ban on entry into the four-kilometer-radius permanent danger zone is enforced.

There is still a possibility of sudden and hazardous steam-driven eruptions, it said.