Energy Development Corporation (EDC), in cooperation with the local government units of Bago and Murcia, held a disaster preparedness workshop on June 3-4, 2025. The Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS) was invited to provide context on volcanism.
The two-day workshop was organized to equip the barangays within Bago City and Murcia with necessary knowledge to better respond to the impacts of the continued unrest of Mount Kanlaon located in the Negros Island Region.
“This is a great opportunity for us to come together with a shared purpose: to enhance our understanding and readiness for disasters, especially given Mount Kanlaon’s recent activity,” Erwin Magallanes, EDC’s head of corporate relations in Negros, said in his welcome remarks. “For many years, EDC has partnered with you on projects on education, enterprise development and the environment. Now, we face a greater challenge: ensuring our preparedness for natural disasters, particularly the volcanic eruptions to which we are currently susceptible.”
Ma. Antonia Bornas, chief science research specialist of the DOST-PHIVOLCS’ volcano monitoring and eruption prediction division, opened the workshop with a lecture on volcanoes and their corresponding hazards. Her discussion touched on how volcanoes form and the causes of eruptions, stressing that human activities do not trigger these eruptions.
Kanlaon, which experienced an explosive eruption at its summit vent on June 3 last year, marked its first year of unrest on June 3, 2025 with a 29-minute ash emission event. It is currently under Alert Level 3 (intensified unrest/ magmatic unrest).
Dr. Ted Esguerra, EDC’s emergency management expert, supplemented the PHIVOLCS discussion with a hands-on workshop on extraction and evacuation protocols. He shared his experience in responding to emergencies drawn from his numerous deployments, most recently as part of the Philippine Army Urban Search and Rescue team for Myanmar earlier this year and Türkiye in 2023 for earthquake rescue. During his session, he stressed the potential cumulative effect of Kanlaon’s ashfall events on people’s health.
A workshop participant, Department of Education-Negros Occidental representative Carla Mae Makilan, said the activity helped her realize the importance of being prepared for any hazards. She added: “As an emergency responder, I need to fully equip myself and my family with skills in order to survive and save more lives.”
(Story by: Alexis Laura Feliciano)
