Mayon unrest: Over 9K residents evacuated in Albay
Published Jun 10, 2023 06:17 am
More than 9,000 individuals in Albay were evacuated due to the ongoing unrest of Mayon Volcano, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Saturday, June 10.
*(Photo courtesy of 9th Infantry Division, Philippine Army)
* In a situational report, the NDRRMC said 2,638 families or 9,314 individuals were brought to 21 temporary shelters in the municipalities of Camalig, Daraga, Guinobatan, and Malilipot; and in the cities of Ligao and Tabaco. At Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. led a situational briefing on the status of Mayon Volcano at the NDRRM Operations Center. Teodoro also concurrently sits as the chairperson of the NDRRMC. Mayon Volcano’s status was raised by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 3 on June 8. The Phivolcs said that this means that Mayon is exhibiting “magmatic eruption of a summit lava dome, with increased chances of lava flows and hazardous pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) affecting the upper to middle slopes of the volcano” and of potential explosive activity within weeks or days.
*(Photo courtesy of Department of National Defense)
* “Sec. Teodoro stressed the importance of timely and orderly evacuation of families in affected communities and the prepositioning of goods and assets for relief operations,” DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said. Authorities also recommended that the six-km radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) around the volcano be evacuated due to the danger of PDCs, lava flows, rockfalls, and other volcanic hazards. Increased vigilance against PDCs, lahars, and sediment-laden streamflows along channels draining the edifice was also advised. Civil aviation authorities were also directed to advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft. Based on the current prevailing wind pattern, authorities said ash fall events may occur on the south side of the volcano.Task Force Sagip
Meanwhile, the number of evacuees is expected to further increase as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) continued to assist local government units (LGUs) in rescuing affected residents. The Philippine Army (PA) has activated its Task Force Sagip to ensure the preparedness of troops in rescuing residents in Albay. Col. Xerxes Trinidad, PA spokesperson, said TF Sagip has coordinated with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bicol Region (OCD-5), the Albay provincial disaster risk reduction and management council (PDRRMC), and local government agencies in Albay and nearby provinces for possible humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) operations. The task force is being led by the Camarines Sur-based 9th Infantry Division (9ID). “The Army leadership lauds the HADR preparations of 9ID to ensure that all Bicolanos who will be affected by the volcanic eruptions are safe and far from grave danger,” Trinidad said. The 9ID’s 9th Civil Military Operations (9CMO) also tapped the 504th Community Defense Center, 5th Regional Community Defense Group for mobilization of the reserve force to augment the troops’ strength. Moreover, the 903rd Infantry Brigade (903rd Inf Bde), which covers the provinces of the second district of Albay, Sorsogon and Masbate, mustered its Emergency Response Team while the 31st Infantry Battalion (31IB), 9ID started to facilitate the mandatory evacuation of residents within the six to eight-kilometer radius danger zone. Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distributed P1,076,350 worth of relief assistance to the affected residents including 1,000 family food packs.