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DILG Orders Heightened Alert After Kanlaon Volcano Eruption
Screengrab from PHIVOLCS-DOST
Negros Island, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has urged local officials to stay on high alert and strictly enforce safety measures following a moderately explosive eruption of Kanlaon Volcano on Thursday afternoon, February 19, 2026.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the eruption occurred at 4:38 p.m. and lasted about two minutes. A dark gray plume rose roughly 2,000 meters above the summit, drifting southwest, while pyroclastic density currents descended the southern and southwestern slopes up to one kilometer from the crater. PHIVOLCS continues to maintain Alert Level 2, warning that entry into the four-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) is strictly prohibited.
Heightened Preparedness Measures
In response, the DILG directed local chief executives to ensure that all residents within the PDZ remain evacuated, while communities within a six-kilometer radius stay on heightened alert and prepare for any escalation in volcanic activity.
Local governments were instructed to monitor lahar flows and sediment-laden streams, particularly during heavy rains, and maintain continuous risk communication reaching even the most remote sitios near the danger zone.
Disaster councils, emergency operations centers, and response clusters were ordered activated, with evacuation centers validated and relief supplies prepositioned. Officials were also tasked with ensuring the safety of both responders and displaced residents.
Health and Safety Precautions
In coordination with the Department of Health, the DILG reminded communities to take health precautions during ashfall: wear masks, limit outdoor exposure, protect eyes and lungs, and seek medical attention for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with pre-existing conditions.
Coordination and Warnings
The DILG’s Negros Island office will coordinate with the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to ensure timely advisories, monitor PHIVOLCS bulletins, and report the situation rapidly.
Officials emphasized that public safety remains the top priority, warning residents against complacency as volcanic activity can escalate suddenly and without warning.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the eruption occurred at 4:38 p.m. and lasted about two minutes. A dark gray plume rose roughly 2,000 meters above the summit, drifting southwest, while pyroclastic density currents descended the southern and southwestern slopes up to one kilometer from the crater. PHIVOLCS continues to maintain Alert Level 2, warning that entry into the four-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) is strictly prohibited.
Heightened Preparedness Measures
In response, the DILG directed local chief executives to ensure that all residents within the PDZ remain evacuated, while communities within a six-kilometer radius stay on heightened alert and prepare for any escalation in volcanic activity.
Local governments were instructed to monitor lahar flows and sediment-laden streams, particularly during heavy rains, and maintain continuous risk communication reaching even the most remote sitios near the danger zone.
Disaster councils, emergency operations centers, and response clusters were ordered activated, with evacuation centers validated and relief supplies prepositioned. Officials were also tasked with ensuring the safety of both responders and displaced residents.
Health and Safety Precautions
In coordination with the Department of Health, the DILG reminded communities to take health precautions during ashfall: wear masks, limit outdoor exposure, protect eyes and lungs, and seek medical attention for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with pre-existing conditions.
Coordination and Warnings
The DILG’s Negros Island office will coordinate with the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to ensure timely advisories, monitor PHIVOLCS bulletins, and report the situation rapidly.
Officials emphasized that public safety remains the top priority, warning residents against complacency as volcanic activity can escalate suddenly and without warning.
Feb 20, 2026
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