MANILA, Philippines — The recent eruption of Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island has so far displaced a total of 11,791 families, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Thursday.

In its latest report, NDRRMC said the eruption has impacted a total of 40,489 individuals across 25 barangays in Western and Central Visayas.

NDRRMC also said that over 4,630 families, or 15,334 individuals, are currently housed in 27 evacuation centers, while 677 families, comprising 2,522 people, are receiving assistance outside these facilities.

A total of 6.43 million worth of assistance has currently been distributed to these affected families in coordination with local government units and non-government organizations, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The air quality at an evacuation center in Barangay Balingasag, Bago City, Negros Occidental, has reached “very unhealthy” levels due to Kanlaon Volcano’s activity, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reported.

The DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in Western Visayas noted that air quality at the Bago City Sports Complex station recorded a 165 µg/m³ index (micrograms per cubic meter) on Wednesday.

Health authorities have advised residents, especially those with heart or respiratory conditions like asthma, to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel.

Kanlaon Volcano erupted explosively on Monday, December 9, at about 3:03 PM, releasing an ash plume that soared up to 4,000 meters above its summit vent.

The eruption, which lasted nearly four minutes, was recorded by all 13 monitoring stations of the Kanlaon Volcano Network and by several stations of the Philippine Seismic Network in Central Visayas.