After volcanic eruption of Mt. Kanlaon, children and families worry about health and livelihood

Fish are dead. Ashfall covers rice and cane fields. Days into the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon, communities are scouring for water for drinking and other essentials.

World Vision shares lahars have been affecting waterways and agricultural lands. According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, thunderstorms triggered the said volcanic sediment flows.

Two municipalities declared a State of Calamity, which will help local government agencies to utilize its emergency funds to help affected communities. Several government agencies have suspended work except those with functions that involve vital services.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, in its June 11, 8:00 AM situational report showed 8,479 affected families, and 4,751 displaced individuals are living in 8 evacuation centers.

Local government units have already provided affected families food and other essential items.

“Lahar has affected our rivers and other water sources. Families here in World Vision communities are now buying water for drinking and other essentials. In other communities, livelihoods have been affected. Fish are dead, and some agricultural lands like rice and cane fields were covered by ashfall,” said World Vision Program Officer, Vincent Mallillin.

World Vision continues to monitor the situation. The organization has around 2,000 assisted children in the province of Negros Occidental, east of the Philippines. World Vision community is 24 kilometers from Mt. Kanlaon.

Mt. Kanlaon erupted last June 3, around 6 PM, and spewed coarse ashfalls that affected nearby communities. PHIVOLCS maintains Alert Level 2, which means there is “current unrest driven by shallow magmatic processes that could eventually lead to further explosive eruptions or even precede hazardous magmatic eruptions.”