MANILA, Philippines — Following the explosive eruption of Mount Kanlaon on Monday afternoon, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) announced that an urgent evacuation operation was underway for approximately 87,000 residents in the surrounding areas.

In line with this, Defense Secretary and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) chairman Gilberto Teodoro Jr. activated the Inter-agency Coordinating Cell (IACC) to coordinate response efforts, emphasizing the necessity for in-person duty from member agencies at the NDRRM Operations Center starting Dec. 10.