Ashfall from Mount Kanlaon reached parts of Cebu on Thursday, July 9, 2026, prompting 24 local government units (LGUs) to suspend face-to-face classes as authorities warned residents to stay indoors and protect themselves from fine ash. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported a moderately explosive eruption at Mount Kanlaon’s summit crater past 7:30 a.m., with an ash plume rising two to three kilometers above the crater before winds carried it across the Tañon Strait.
LGUs suspend classes
The LGUs that suspended face-to-face classes were the cities of Cebu, Toledo, Talisay, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Naga and Carcar, and the municipalities of Balamban, Minglanilla, Pinamungajan, Consolacion, Aloguinsan, Cordova, Liloan, Asturias, Compostela, San Fernando, Santa Fe, Tabuelan, Ronda, Barili, Dumanjug, Argao and Carmen. Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Dennis Pastor said initial ashfall reports came from Toledo City, Balamban, Pinamungajan and Aloguinsan.
Health precautions
Provincial Health Office head Sheila Faciol said the class suspensions helped keep children indoors while ash particles remained a health risk. She said provincial hospitals, including those in Balamban, Pinamungajan, Barili and Carcar City, were placed on alert for possible increases in acute respiratory symptoms. Faciol advised residents to stay indoors and wear face masks if they need to go outside. The Cebu Provincial Government began distributing N95 masks to affected areas, with 500 masks sent to Toledo City and Balamban and 6,000 more being prepared for distribution to local government units. Faciol said the Province allocated an initial P2.2 million for face masks, with an emergency purchase expected Friday, July 10.
Structural and agricultural risks
Pastor said ashfall could last for days and warned residents that ash can become heavy when wet, possibly damaging or collapsing rooftops if allowed to accumulate. He urged residents to be careful when removing ash from their homes. Provincial Agriculture Office head Roldan Saragena said initial reports showed no major crop damage, but he warned that thick ash on leaves for three to four days could disrupt photosynthesis and reduce yields. He advised farmers along the Tañon Strait, including those in Toledo City, Balamban, Pinamungajan, Aloguinsan and Asturias, to harvest market-ready green leafy vegetables before ash accumulation causes losses. Saragena said the Cebu Provincial Government pays 100 percent of farmers’ crop insurance premiums under the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. Farmers may apply through their local agriculture offices.
Learning continuity
Department of Education 7 regional information officer Amaryllis Villarmia said schools may use learning continuity measures while class disruptions continue. “We want to inform the public that we have DepEd Order 14, series of 2026, which provides that learning continues despite these emergencies,” Villarmia said. Villarmia said local government units will continue to decide on class suspensions based on hazards in their areas, while schools may resume through regular classroom instruction, flexible learning or alternative delivery modes at home.
