A volcanic eruption in the southern island of the Philippines has forced at least 684 schools to close, affecting about 385,000 students, with nine schools converted into evacuation centers.

“This eruption has halted education in at least 684 schools and hundreds of thousands of children have been affected by the Mount Kanlaon eruption,” Save the Children said in a statement.

Save the Children, the leading humanitarian organization for children, urged everyone to follow safety guidance issued by the authorities, noting experts’ warning that the volcanic activity may continue.

Following the eruption on Monday, Mount Kanlaon volcano on Negros Island in central Philippines is on Alert Level 2, the highest level since the eruption, which indicates an increase in volcanic activity. 

Images on social media showed an ash cloud shooting into the sky and homes covered in volcanic ash, with at least 43 earthquakes recorded since Monday’s explosion which lasted 6 minutes. 

The Philippines is no stranger to volcanic activity and sits in the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common.

Faisah Ali, Humanitarian Manager of Save the Children Philippines, said that its Philippine chapter has already notified its Emergency Response Team (ERT) and local partners who are on standby to deploy to the affected area. Masks and other items are also ready to be dispatched from nearby warehouses.

“Save the Children Philippines stands ready to assist those affected,” Ali said.

Save the Children has been working in the Philippines since 1981 with programs in humanitarian response, health and nutrition, education, and children’s rights and protection.

A separate situation report by the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council showed that a total of 2,088 individuals have been affected by the eruption, with 1,584 displaced. 

Of those displaced, 1,407 are currently in evacuation centers. The eruption has impacted 605 families across 20 barangays in Western and Central Visayas.

Authorities are urging residents near the volcano to evacuate when instructed by local officials. 

Local relief efforts underway

On June 4, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office-6 was deployed to provide psychosocial support to children and youth evacuees of the eruption at La Castellana Elementary School. 

The DSWD, vice-chair of the Disaster Response Cluster and lead agency of the Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster of the NDRRMC, aims to ensure the well-being of affected individuals.

Meanwhile, Canlaon City Mayor Batchuk Cardenas visited, on June 5, evacuees located at Macario Española Memorial School and Jose B. Cardenas Memorial High School-Uptown Campus. 

The local government provided relief assistance to the evacuees, with 54 families (equivalent to 162 internally displaced persons) receiving food packs and other kits.

DOH warns against ashfall

The Department of Health (DOH) has also issued health advisories to protect residents from volcanic ash and harmful gasses.

The DOH advised residents to stay indoors, close windows and doors, and use wet curtains or cloths to seal gaps. 

They recommended wearing face masks or wet cloths over the nose and mouth, and goggles to protect eyes from ash. 

People with asthma or COPD should keep enough inhaler medicine, use it as directed, and seek medical help if breathing becomes difficult. 

“The eruption of Mt. Kanlaon has [indirectly] affected at least 23,622 people across five barangays in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, and another 12,000 individuals in La Castellana, Negros Occidental,” reported nonprofit Save the Children Philippines in a statement on June 5.

The organization added that according to DepEd, there are nearly 385,000 students and over 680 schools impacted by the eruption, with nine schools currently serving as evacuation centers.