Statement: On the Eruption of Mount Soputan in Sulawesi

03 October 2018 – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is monitoring the situation around Mount Soputan after the northern Sulawesi volcano erupted on Wednesday.

The Philippine Consulate General in Manado, Indonesia, said it is trying to get in touch with the only Filipino in the immediate vicinity of the volcano.

Consul General Oscar Orcine also informed Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano that the 144 members of the Filipino Community in Manado and Bitung have been alerted and advised to stay clear of the area. Consul General Orcine said most of the Filipinos in the Manado and Bitung areas are teachers and factory workers.

Consul General Orcine said efforts are ongoing to reach the Filipino, a retired employee of the Consulate General who is living with his Indonesian wife and son near the volcano, located 45 kilometers from Manado.

The volcano, located more than 600 kilometers northeast of the region that was devastated by last week’s earthquake and tsunami, spewed volcanic ash in its eruption on Wednesday morning. END