OVER 12,000 individuals have been displaced by the continuing unrest of Mayon Volcano in Albay, where a significant increase in rockfall events was observed yesterday.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said 177 rockfall events were recorded from 5 a.m. last Saturday to 5 a.m. yesterday, compared to 59 in the previous period. It also said sulfur dioxide emission was measured at 1,205 tons during the period, compared to the previous 417 tons.
Mayon Volcano remains under Alert Level 3 which Phivolcs said means the volcano “is currently in a relatively high level of unrest as magma is at the crater and hazardous eruption is possible within weeks or even days.”
Phivolcs is also closely monitoring two other volcanoes — Taal Volcano in Batangas and Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island, which remain under Alert Level 1 (low-level unrest).
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the displaced residents — 3,538 families or 12,804 individuals — are staying in 22 evacuation centers.
They are from 22 barangays from the towns of Camalig, Ligao, Daraga, Guinobatan, Malilipot and Tabaco, the NDRRMC said in a report.
Nearly a third of the affected displaced population –1,046 families or 3,984 individuals — are from Guinobatan, the NDRRMC said.
Eugene Escobar, research chief at the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO), said they were targeting to evacuate over 14,000 individuals from the danger zone.
Escobar said they were aiming to complete the evacuation yesterday.
APSEMO reported fewer evacuees — at about 11,000 — compared to the NDRRMC figure, as of yesterday.
“They (personnel on the ground) are almost complete (with the evacuation) even as early as yesterday but we’re still waiting for the reports to be submitted to us,” said Escobar.
The Albay provincial government has declared the entire province under state of calamity last Friday so it can access emergency funds to help residents.
Phivolcs raised Alert Level 3 (intensified unrest/magmatic unrest) at Mayon Volcano last Thursday, leading to the evacuation of people inside the six-kilometer permanent danger zone.
Alert Level 3 was raised three days Phivolcs declared Alert Level 2 (increasing unrest) due to the volcano’s increased volcanic activity.
On Taal Volcano, Phivolcs last week reported increased degassing activity. From 5 a.m Saturday to 5 a.m yesterday, it said the volcano emitted 6,304 tons of sulfur dioxide, with a 900-meter tall plume. It said four volcanic quakes during the period.
At Kanlaon, three volcanic earthquakes and 1,089 tons of sulfur dioxide emission were reported from 5 a.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. yesterday. Last week, Phivolcs reported an increase in volcanic quakes and sulfur dioxide emission from Kanlaon.
ROCKFALLS
In a bulletin on Mayon Volcano yesterday, Phivolcs said it recorded one volcanic quake from Saturday morning to Sunday morning, same as the previous period.
“The rockfall events emplaced lava debris on the south and southeastern gullies within 700 meters from the summit crater,” Phivolcs said.
“Thin ash from the rockfalls and continuous moderate degassing from the summit crater produced steam-laden plumes that were bent and crept downslope before drifting to the general southeast,” it added.
Phivolcs said “a fair crater glow or ‘banaag’ and incandescent rockfall shed from new fluidal lava” at the volcano’s summit was observed on Saturday night.
DANGER ZONE
Phivolcs said people inside the danger zone should be evacuated “due to the danger of PDCs (pyroclastic density currents), lava flows, rockfalls and other volcanic hazards.”
“Increased vigilance against pyroclastic density currents, lahars and sediment-laden streamflows along channels draining the edifice is also advised. Heavy rainfall could generate channel-confined lahars and sediment-laden streamflows in channels where PDC deposits were emplaced,” said Phivolcs.
Phivolcs said civil aviation authorities must advise pilots to avoid flying near the summit of the volcano “as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft.”
“Based on the current prevailing wind pattern, ash fall events may most likely occur on the south side of the volcano,” Phivolcs added.
VACCINES
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said the Department of Health will send bivalent COVID-19 vaccines to evacuation centers in Albay, to be given to “the eligible population” who are considered high risk.
Based on guidelines issued by the DOH, eligible to get the bivalent doses as third booster shots are healthcare workers (A1), and senior citizens (A2).
As for those still ineligible for the bivalent jabs, the health chief appealed for their patience as the country continues to work for additional doses.
Around 390,000 doses of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Lithuanian government recently arrived in the country.
Herbosa also warned of a surge in respiratory illnesses in Albay amid Mayon’s restlessness.
“The DOH is reminding the public of the importance of protection against illnesses such as measles, coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and flu. If there is congestion in evacuation centers, it is really possible to have acute respiratory infections,” said Herbosa.
“We must also remember that there is a concomitant health risk while being close to the eruption because of inhaling sulfur dioxide gas or the particulate matters,” he added.
He said advised the public to apply layers of protection against diseases, such as wearing face masks, isolating when having symptoms, having good ventilation, and frequent washing of hands.
Herbosa also said at least 167 health workers have been deployed to the evacuation centers with medical teams from the central office also set for deployment.
The DOH also activated its mental health and psycho-social support services for affected individuals.
“They have been displaced or affected by the situation. There is uncertainty on what awaits them so psycho-social support is very important,” said Herbosa.
AID
The NDRRMC said P6.93 million worth of assistance, mostly family food packs, have been so far distributed to those affected.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it has provided P8.439 million worth of assistance, mostly family food packs and non-food relief items such as hygiene, sleeping kits and personal kits, to nearly 34,000 affected families, including the nearly 12,000 people who are staying in 20 evacuation centers in Albay.
DSWD said it still has P629.5 million worth of funds (P149.789 billion) and stockpiles P479.7 billion) on standby and ready for distribution.
President Marcos Jr. in a Facebook post on Saturday, reminded persons living around the volcano to follow and cooperate with their local government units (LGUs) to ensure their safety.
Speaker Martin Romualdez and the Tingog party-list group have facilitated the release of P33 million worth of assistance to Albay, both in cash and in kind.
The Speaker, his wife Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez (PL, Tingog) and Jude Acidre, also of Tingog, said P1 million worth of assistance was allocated to each of the three districts of Albay.
These affected areas are the first district, under Rep. Edcel Lagman; second district, under Rep. Joey Salceda; and third district, under Rep. Fernando Cabredo. The assistance from the Speaker’s office will be coursed through their respective offices.
“The members of the House are one with the people of Albay during this challenging time.
Mayon Volcano’s eruption is something that we cannot stop, but so is showing malasakit to our countrymen when difficulties arise. Together, we will ride out this calamity,” Romualdez said.
The P1 million assistance for each of the districts is broken down into P500,000 in cash and P500,000 worth of relief packs from Speaker Romualdez’ personal disaster response fund.
The Speaker’s office also coordinated with the DSWD so that P10 million worth of assistance would be released to each district through the agency’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program. — With Gerard Naval, Jocelyn Montemayor and Wendell Vigilia
