OFWs assured of help as Mt. Kanlaon eruption cancels flights
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) whose flights were canceled due to Mt. Kanlaon’s eruption will be assisted by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the agency says in an advisory issued June 4, 2024. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) whose flights were canceled due to Mt. Kanlaon’s eruption will be assisted by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
“Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac instructed the department’s Regional Office 6 and its attached agency, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration’s (OWWA) offices, to assist outbound and inbound OFWs,” states a DMW advisory issued Tuesday.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has ordered the cancellation of flights at the Bacolod-Silay airport since Tuesday morning due to the volcano’s eruption on Monday evening.
READ: Kanlaon Volcano erupts; Phivolcs raises Alert Level 2
In a separate advisory also on Tuesday, the DMW said its Region 6 offices remain “on standby to help out transiting OFWs on their way,” as Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, and Air Asia’s counters at the Bacolod-Silay airport have already reopened by Tuesday noon to accommodate all departing passengers on their respective flights.
Mt. Kanlaon or Kanlaon Volcano had a six-minute phreatic eruption at 6:51 p.m. on Monday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
READ: Mt. Kanlaon eruption: LIVE UPDATES
Phivolcs also said the the eruption emitted a 5,000-meter high plume.
The state seismologists has since raised Alert Level 2 on the volcano.
The Department of Health (DOH) urged residents near Mt. Kanlaon to protect their health and avoid getting ill by taking precautions such as wearing masks and closing gaps in the house to prevent ash and toxic gases from entering.
The DOH likewise said people must protect their eyes from ashes and dust by wearing safety goggles, if available.
“Do not use contact lenses; switch to glasses for now. Do not rub your eyes; if irritated, rinse them with clean, lukewarm running water,” a DOH advisory states.
