RESTIVE Mayon Volcano in Albay produced 397 rockfall events from Saturday morning to Sunday morning, the highest since it was placed under Alert Level 3 last month.
In a bulletin, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said it has also recorded four volcanic earthquakes, two pyroclastic density current events, and a sulfur dioxide emission of 864 tons, from 5 a.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. yesterday.
The 397 rockfall events are 143 higher compared to the 254 events recorded during the previous 24-hour monitoring.
There were 65 volcanic events, 17 pyroclastic density current events, and 1,002 tons of sulfur dioxide emission from Friday morning to Saturday morning.
The number of rockfall events recorded from Saturday morning to Sunday morning was the new record high since June 8 when Phivolcs placed Mayon under Alert Level 3 (increased tendency towards hazardous eruption).
This is the fifth time Mayon breached the 300-mark in terms of rockfall events in a 24-hour period. The four others were 301 on June 19 to 20, 339 (June 22 to 23), 308 (June 23 to 24), and 372 (June 27 to 28).
Phivolcs said “very slow effusion of lava” continues at Mayon.
At the Mi-isi gully, Phivolcs said the lava flow has reached 2.7 km from the volcano’s summit. Meanwhile, lava flow at Bonga gully has reached 1.3 km.
“Continuous voluminous degassing from the summit crater produced steam-laden plumes that rose 1,500 meters before drifting to the southwest, south-southwest and northwest direction,” Phivolcs also said.
Phivolcs said monitoring indicates that “Mayon is still inflated, especially on the northwest and southeast.”
“Alert Level 3 is maintained over Mayon Volcano, which means that it is currently in a relatively high level of unrest as magma is at the crater and hazardous eruption within weeks or even days is possible,” it said in the bulletin.
At Taal Volcano in Batangas, which is under Alert Level 1, Phivolcs said it has recorded 11 volcanic earthquakes from Saturday morning to Sunday morning. The number is similar to the previous 24-hour period.
Taal’s sulfur dioxide emission was measured at 1,165 tons on June 30.
Phivolcs said it observed a 900-meter tall plume that drifted northeastward.
AID
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the unrest of Mayon has affected 10,652 families or 41,517 individuals.
Of the number, 5,773 families (20,178 individuals( are displaced, the NDRRMC said.
Of the displaced, 5,365 families (18,751 individuals) are staying at 28 evacuation centers and 408 families (1,427 individuals) are staying with their relatives and friends.
The NDRRMC said P130 million worth of assistance has been provided to those affected, including P44.66 million worth of family food packs and P19.95 million in financial aid.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) started yesterday the second wave of distribution of food boxes and other relief items to the displaced families.
A total of 28,810 family food packs to cover the 15 days of food for the different evacuation centers around the province were released by the DSWD Field Office since Friday in anticipation of the distribution yesterday.
An emergency cash assistance worth P12,000 per family is also expected to be distributed this month on top of the food packs. The emergency cash assistance can be used to buy other basic needs food of the family that are not included in the food boxes and relief packs such as milk for babies and elders, diapers and the like.
DSWD is taking turns with the local government units (LFUs) in covering the food needs of the families staying in evacuation centers. DSWD provides food for the evacuees for every 15 days while LGUs provide food for every six days.
President Marcos Jr. previously ordered government agencies to prepare contingencies for 90 days in case the Mayon activities last long.
Volunteers from Police Regional Office 5 (Bicol Region) – Salaam Police Advisory Group (SPAG), the 9th Civil Military Operation Battalion of the Philippine Army 9th Infantry Division, and the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) Bicol Administrative Region have been helping repack relief goods at the DSWD Warehouse in Legazpi City during the weekend
Last Saturday, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas distributed food packs and five liters of mineral water to each family staying at the Mauraro Elementary School in Guinobatan town, while Bicol Rep. Fernando Cabredo distributed assorted chicken cuts to evacuees at the Guinobatan Community College, also in Guinobatan.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez together with the Tingog party-list group distributed groceries at Anislag Elementary School in Anislag in Daraga while the provincial government of Albay distributed food packs at Comun Elementary School in Camalig. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
