CANLAON CITY, NEGROS ORIENTAL: Mt. Kanlaon unleashed a moderate explosive eruption on Thursday morning, July 9, 2026, blanketing neighboring communities in thick volcanic ash and forcing local governments across two provinces into an immediate emergency response.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the explosion commenced at approximately 7:33 AM and lasted for three minutes. The eruption generated a massive, dark gray ash plume that shot two to three kilometers above the summit crater before being carried eastward by prevailing winds.

The local impact was felt almost immediately in Canlaon City, where day turned to twilight as thick as heavily blanketed roads, homes, and infrastructure. Concurrently, the city's Public Information Office reported a mix of heavy downpours and blinding ashfall, drastically reducing visibility.

According to PHIVOLCS, at least ten distinct areas within the city were severely impacted by the eruption, including the barangays of Mabigo, Malaiba, Binalbagan, Pula, and Lumapao.

In Barangay Masulog, terrified residents reported the sound of "ballistic ejecta"—volcanic rock fragments violently thrown from the crater during the explosion. Furthermore, poorly visible pyroclastic density currents (PDCs)—rapidly moving avalanches of gas, ash, and volcanic debris—were detected cascading down the volcano's southeastern slopes within a one-kilometer radius of the summit.

The eruption has prompted coordinated government responses across the affected regions. In Negros Oriental, where ash fall heavily impacted Canlaon City and its immediate surrounding rural barangays, authorities initiated the immediate distribution of face masks and enforced strict exclusion zones.

Meanwhile, on Cebu Island—where the ash cloud reached Toledo City, Balamban, Pinamungajan, and Aloguinsan—local government units declared class suspensions across multiple municipalities, and area hospitals were placed on heightened alert.

Due to strong easterly winds, the ash cloud traveled across the sea channel, reaching western Cebu by 9:00 AM. This prompt disruption caused several local government units on Cebu Island to immediately cancel classes to protect students from respiratory hazards. Coincidentally, school sessions in Canlaon City and the rest of Negros Oriental were already suspended due to the concurrent threat of Super Typhoon Inday.

Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro directed the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) and the Provincial Health Office to place all Capitol-run district hospitals on heightened alert.

"We strongly urge the public, especially those in ashfall-affected areas, to stay indoors. If going outside is absolutely necessary, you must wear face masks or protective coverings to minimize industrial and respiratory exposure to volcanic ash," the provincial statement noted.

PHIVOLCS has maintained Alert Level 2 over Mt. Kanlaon, indicating a state of moderate volcanic unrest. Authorities continue to warn that the risk of sudden hazardous explosions remains high, and entry within the strict 4-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) remains completely prohibited.