BY VICTOR REYES and JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR
MAYON Volcano in Albay showed increased activities as the number of individuals displaced by the volcano’s continuing unrest rose to more than 16,000.
President Marcos Jr. flew to Legazpi City in Albay and instructed government agencies to prepare food and non-food relief items for the affected population, good for 90 days, and the Department of Education to attend to the educational needs of students especially those staying in the evacuation centers, among others.
He also handed family food packs and water and non-food relief items during visits to some of the evacuation centers in Albay.
The President said while he is satisfied with overall preparations, he prefers to have things in excess than be caught wanting or lacking later on, so he wants the preparations to cover including assistance for the evacuees for last for 45 days to 90 days.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Mayon has so far affected 9,571 families or 37,231 individuals from the cities of Ligao and Tabaco, and the towns of Bacacay, Camalig, Daraga, Guinobatan, Malilipot and Sto Domingo.
Of the number, 4,602 families or 16,161 individuals are displaced, with 4,417 families (15,502 individuals) staying in 22 evacuation centers and 185 families (659 individuals) living with their relatives or friends.
Paul Alanis, resident volcanologist of the Mayon Volcano Observatory, 309 rockfall events were recorded from 5 a.m. Tuesday to 5 a.m. yesterday, or 88 more compared to the previous 24-hour monitoring period.
Alanis said seven volcanic earthquakes were recorded in the latest monitoring period, but no explosion was observed.
“Mayon Volcano continues to extrude lava very quietly,” he also said.
The volcanic quakes that were recorded from Tuesday morning to Wednesday morning were six more compared to just one that was recorded during the previous period.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), in a bulletin, said pyroclastic density current events also rose to seven, from just one.
SULFUR DIOXIDE
Mayon continues its effusive eruption or slow release of lava from the summit.
It emitted 149 tons of sulfur dioxide from Tuesday morning to Wednesday morning, down from 723 tons from the previous period.
“This is quite lower than the average of 500 tons per day, so this is quite an anomaly right now. It’s far below the average of Mayon Volcano which is 500 tons of sulfur dioxide everyday. So this is quite low,” said Alanis.
Alanis said these parameters show that the volcano should remain at Alert Level 3 (increased tendency towards hazardous eruption).
“We do not see any indication to raise the alert level at this moment,” said Alanis, referring to declaration of Alert Level 4 ((hazardous eruption imminent).
Also, said the volcanic earthquakes are “quite low” to warrant the declaration of Alert Level 4.
“We have to check if the energy of the earthquakes are high enough to signify an impending (hazardous) eruption. At the moment, the number of earthquakes is quite low,” he said.
Nevertheless, Alanis said, Mayon can still “turn violent” or go to a “more vigorous type of eruption.”
“Unfortunately, the escalation can occur in a matter of hours based on the behavior of the volcano and this happened before… With regards to deescalation, that would take much longer than an escalation,” said Alanis.
Authorities evacuated people living inside the 6 km permanent danger zone last Friday, a day after Phivolcs raised Alert Level 3.
AID
The President, during a briefing in Legazpi City, also ordered other agencies to help provide livelihood for the evacuees who may be forced to stay in the temporary shelters for several months. Historically the effect of a Mayon eruption lasts for a minimum of 45 days.
He also ordered authorities to ensure the cleanliness and sanitation in the evacuation centers after he noticed some issues during his inspection.
Marcos directed local agriculture officials to ensure that evacuated animals are tested and free of diseases like avian and swine flu before they are brought to livestock evacuation centers.
There are 217 animals, majority carabaos, that are currently staying in 30 livestock evacuation centers in Albay.
Local agriculture officials said veterinarians are regularly checking the condition of the animals at the evacuation center.
Marcos conducted an aerial inspection of the areas affected by the volcanic activities before proceeding to Guinobatan to visit an evacuation center and hand out some assistance which included P700-P750 food packs, six liters of water and non-food items like hygiene kits, among others.
He was accompanied in Guinobatan by Gatchalian, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., and Albay Gov. Grex Lagman, among others.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said family food packs and non-food relief items that are good for 90 are already on standby in field offices and warehouses of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Bicol.
Lagman said the provincial government has allotted P30 million of its remaining P42.39 million quick response fund, and the P12.39 million will be saved for other calamities that might happen later in the year.
He said Albay will need P196 million to cover a 90-day evacuation period if the alert is raised to Level 4.
Data from the DSWD showed 4,415 families (15,493 persons) staying in 22 evacuation centers in Albay and of which, 813 families (2,775 persons) are staying in two temporary shelters in Guinobatan. There are also 185 families (659 persons) who are staying with friends or relatives.
DSWD spokesman Rommel Lopez said 9,688 families (37,927 persons) have been affected by Mayon’s unrest.
Lopez also said P32.976 million worth of assistance has been provided by the DSWD, local government units, and private partners to the affected residents.
Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, said disaster and incident management teams of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ regional and district engineering offices have been activated, while quick response assets composed of 340 individuals with 30 equipment have been prepositioned for any eventuality.
As part of preparedness measures, DPWH Regional Office 5 also identified alternate routes in case some road sections need to be closed.
In the event that the Legazpi-Sto. Domingo-Tabaco Road will be impassable, motorists may take Ligao-Tabaco Road as an alternative road. In case the Camalig Section of Daang Maharlika will be closed, the Camalig-Comun-Gapo-Peñafrancia Road may be an alternate route.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said the Bicol International Airport remained on normal operation yesterday. — With Myla Iglesias
