The Negros Island volcano, one of 24 active in the country along the Pacific Ring of Fire, has forced the evacuation of more than 84,000 people. The blanket of ash and gas has covered a radius of 3 kilometers. The government and the diocese provide assistance to the displaced. Monsignor Alminaza, bishop of San Carlos and vice president of Cáritas: “We must help each other. “We are not good guardians of nature.”
Manila () – The eruption of Mount Kanlaon on December 9 on the central island of Negros, the largest in recent years in the Philippines, forced the evacuation of more than 84,000 people. While the Government works to offer temporary shelter to the displaced, the Caritas of the diocese of San Carlos and neighboring dioceses have mobilized to provide aid to these communities. Moments of difficulty serve “to bear witness to our faith, demonstrate our love for each other, and affirm our mission to truly care for our common home,” said Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, bishop of San Carlos, one of the affected areas.
Mount Kanlaon is one of the country’s 24 active volcanoes and has erupted more than 40 times since 1866. It is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire; The phenomenon highlights the Philippines’ propensity to this and other natural disasters. Kanlaon spewed a deadly stream of hot ash, gas and fragmented volcanic rock, covering up to about 3 km (1.9 mi) over the mountain’s southeast flank. Government officials said there were no casualties, but the ash cloud obscured visibility and constituted a potential health risk.
After the eruption the government and the public sector are trying to help the affected people. Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, vice president of Caritas Philippines, urged Catholics and all citizens to be in solidarity and provide help to people in difficulty. “We have to pray for people and help them,” he said, adding that people need access to clean water, food packages and medicines. “It’s a difficult time for everyone, we have to help each other,” he continued.
What happened was also an opportunity to point out the responsibility of human negligence in its relationship with the environment. “We confess our sins against you and against creation,” Bishop Alminaza said in a statement. “We have not been good stewards of nature. Nature suffers from our injustice and indifference. Typhoons, floods, volcanic eruptions and other natural disasters are occurring in increasing numbers and intensity. We pray and invoke the protection of the Almighty.”
For his part, Mons. Ruperto Cruz Santos, bishop of Antipolo, urged the faithful to pray for the people affected by the natural disaster. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government continues to make concerted efforts to bring people to safety in the danger zone, within a six-kilometer radius of Mount Kanlaon. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMC) is providing immediate help to the people and is continuously monitoring the situation.
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