The earthquakes that hit Cebu could cause the opening of fractures within the Kanlaon Volcano because the ground shaking was strong, a Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) official said on Monday.
But government seismologists have not yet seen significant effects on the volcanic activity at Kanlaon, according to Phivolcs Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction chief, Ma. Antonia Bornas.
She also said that they still need to investigate the cause of a recently discovered ground subsidence (hole) in Barangay Talaptap, La Castellana, in Negros Occidental, which is located near Kanlaon.
Ground subsidence is defined as the gradual or sudden sinking of the Earth’s surface.
It is not known if the hole at Talaptap was caused by volcanic activity or the earthquakes.
The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management (MDRRM) officer, John BF de Asis, said on Monday that the threat level of ground subsidence is low as it does not affect traffic or livelihoods.
The hole is 20 centimeters wide and 60 centimeters deep, he said.
De Asis said that they are acting on the concerns of residents, especially after the earthquake in Bogo City, Cebu, on September 30.
La Castellana residents were asked to report cracks, ground shifts, or new holes immediately to barangay officials or the DRRM Hotline at 09633018164./coa