Ashes fell over 100 barangays in Negros Occidental, following a new moderately explosive eruption on Mount Kanlaon.

A week after its eruption, a new moderately explosive eruption occurred at Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island at 7:04 p.m. on Thursday, February 26, 2026.

The eruption triggered ashfall and pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) at areas around the volcano.

Barangay Sag-ang in La Castellana is one of areas heavily affected by the said events.

“Madilim dito sa amin na para bang ang buwan tinatabunan ang langit ng abo,” Lupe Espeso, a resident, said.

Thick ashes covered roads and houses. Residents worry again over the effects of the ashfall to relatives with prevailing illnesses or co-morbidities, such as Bunny Torres whose father suffers from pneumonia.

“Masama ang kanyang pakiramdam. Hindi siya makalabas ng bahay kasi ang abo matindi. Kung hindi mo babasain ang alikabok sa kalsada, malalanghap mo,” Torres said.

Maria Fe Cuevas, another resident, said she has not slept properly since evening of February 26 because of the need to clean up immediately after the eruption.

“Makapal kasi kagabi. Mula kagabi pa namin sinasabuyan (ng tubig) upang hindi pumasok sa bahay dahil masama ang amoy,” Cuevas said.

As ashes are detrimental to vegetation and livestock, farmers immediately attended to watering crops and saving animals.  

“Matutuyo ito, masusunog ang dahon. Kaya nga agad kaming nagpatubig kasi hindi na maganda ang kondisyon,” said Antipas Torres, a farmer.

Meanwhile, Alfredo Nuevo, has temporarily stopped taking his cow to pasture. He worried over the possibility of the animal ingesting ashes. He said that instead of taking the cow to a nearby stream, he would fetch drinking water for it and feed it with sugarcane leaves.  

“Pinapakain na lang ng dahon ng tubo. Pinag-iigiban lang sila. Hindi pinaiinom sa ilog. Humihina sila,” Nuevo said.

Aside from La Castellana, over 10 local government units in Negros Occidental, or over 100 barangays, experienced light to heavy ashfall, according to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).

The PDRRMO conducted a flushing operation at areas affected by the ashfall.

“Ang ating mga LGU dito sa south, manageable na. Ang ating water filtration truck nandoon ngayon naka-deploy. It is very important na mag-wear tayo ng face mask,” said Irene Bel Ploteña, head of the Negros Occidental PDRRMO.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has not ruled out the possibility of another volcanic eruption.

“Dahil nasa magmatic unrest pa rin siya, sa ngayon posibleng mangyari na maakyat tayo to Alert Level 3,” according to Engr. Mari Andylene Quintia, resident volcanologist at Kanlaon Volcano Observatory.