Kanlaon Volcano Ashfall Reaches Cebu; Environment Bureau Advises Precautions

Environment authorities in Central Visayas have advised residents in Cebu to take the necessary precautions against ashfall from Kanlaon Volcano’s eruption, which had reached the province early on Thursday due to eastward winds. The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-7) advised residents in affected areas to wear face masks, preferably N95 or KN95 respirators, when outdoors. The agency further advised staying indoors as much as possible, keeping doors and windows closed, and limiting outdoor activities, especially those with asthma, allergies, and other respiratory conditions. It also recommended wearing eyeglasses or goggles to protect the eyes, covering food and drinking water to avoid ash contamination, and exercising caution while driving due to reduced visibility and slippery roads. Engr. Cindylyn Pepito, EMB-7 public information officer, said the agency has begun monitoring the environmental impact of the eruption. Mariton Antonia Bornas, chief of the volcano monitoring and eruption prediction division of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said the prevailing winds were blowing eastward at the time of the eruption, allowing volcanic ash to reach Cebu province. According to Phivolcs, the eruption generated a dark gray plume that rose two to three kilometers above the crater before drifting toward the east. Phivolcs also reported that poorly visible pyroclastic density currents descended Kanlaon’s southeastern slopes, traveling approximately within a kilometer of the summit crater. Phivolcs had kept Kanlaon under alert level 2. Mari Andylene Y. Quintia, resident volcanologist at the Phivolcs Kanlaon Observatory, earlier confirmed that ashfall reached Cebu localities such as Balamban, Toledo City, Pinamungajan, Aloguinsan, San Fernando, Bantayan, Talisay City, Compostela and Barili. The ashfall prompted the suspension of classes at all levels in public and private schools in Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu cities, as well as the municipalities of Minglanilla, Pinamungajan, Aloguinsan, Asturias, Consolacion and Cordova. Bornas explained that fine volcanic ash can remain suspended in the atmosphere for an extended period, allowing prevailing winds to carry it over long distances. She also said residents may notice the smell of sulfur dioxide due to volcanic gas emissions, while cloudy weather and possible rain could help wash volcanic particles from the atmosphere. Central Visayas is not expected to experience further ashfall on Friday if Kanlaon remains quiet, state weather officials said on Thursday. Engr. Alfredo F. Quiblat Jr., Visayas chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), said the ash cloud generated by the volcano’s eruption was projected to pass through Central Visayas within hours before moving toward Eastern Visayas. “If there will be no more eruption, by tomorrow the ashfall should already be clear,” Quiblat said. During a joint press conference, officials of Phivolcs and Pagasa brushed aside a notion widely circulating on social media about the causal link between the eruption of Kanlaon and the weather disturbance Inday. Quiblat clarified that the prevailing southwest monsoon, enhanced by the weather disturbance, carried the volcanic ash to Cebu but did not trigger the eruption. “Ang hangin ay walang kinalaman sa pagputok ng bulkan, pero may kinalaman ito sa paggalaw ng air parcel o ashfall mula sa pinangyarihan,” Quiblat said. Bornas also emphasized that weather systems do not influence volcanic eruptions but play a major role in determining where volcanic products, particularly ashfall, are dispersed. Meanwhile, Amaryllis Villarmia of the Department of Education said local government units remain responsible for deciding whether to suspend classes, while school heads may shift to flexible learning under DepEd Order No. 14, Series of 2026, when the health and safety of learners are at risk.