The national government is ready to augment the resources of local government units (LGUs) in Albay to make sure that that the basic needs of the evacuees due to Mayon Volcano’s ongoing unrest will be met.
Mayon Volcano (File photo courtesy of DOST-Phivolcs)
Diego Agustin Mariano, head of Office of Civil Defense’s (OCD) joint information unit, made the assurance on Tuesday, June 13, as he bared that the number of affected residents in Albay already reached 3,876 families or 13,811 individuals.
Of the number, a total of 3,701 families or 13,179 individuals from Camalig, Ligao, Daraga, Guinobatan, Malilipot, and Tabaco were staying in 21 evacuation centers.
“Ngayon po sapat pa naman po ang supply o resources at assistance para sa ating mga kababayan na naaapektuhan ng pag-aalburoto ng bulkan. Pero if ever na magkulang, nakahanda ang mga national government agencies kasama and OCD at DSWD [Department of Social Welfare and Development] para i-augment ang assistance na pwedeng ibigay sa mga kababayan natin (Right now, there is enough supply or resources and assistance for the people that were affected by the unrest of the volcano. But if ever it gets depleted, national government agencies including the OCD and DSWD are prepared to augment the assistance that we can give to our people),” Mariano said in a public briefing.
Meanwhile, the OCD has also started to prepare the deployment of rescue personnel and prepositioning of relief goods from member-agencies of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in case the situation worsens at Taal Volcano in Batangas and Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island.
“Mababa pa ang alert level so ini-ensure muna na walang tao o ma-lessen ang activities within the area of danger zone nitong dalawang bulkan (The alert levels are still low so we are just ensuring that there are no residents or the activities are lessened with the area of danger zone of the two volcanoes),” Mariano stated.
“Nakahanda ang LGUs, same with the member-agencies ng NDRRMC so ready ang resources at evacuation. Hindi naman po ito bago so nakahanda naman po ang mga LGUs pagdating sa anong mangyayari o kung sakaling mag-worsen itong sitwasyon sa dalawang bulkan (The LGUs are ready, same with the member-agencies of the NDRRMC so the resources and the evacuation are ready. This is no longer new to them that’s why the LGUs are prepared whatever happens or if the situation worsens at the two volcanoes),” he added.
Mayon is currently under Alert Level 3 while Taal and Kanlaon are under Alert Level 1.
Entry into the six-km radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) at Mayon Volcano is prohibited.
Meanwhile, individuals were barred from entering the Taal Volcano Island at Teal Volcano, and the four-km radius PDZ at Kanlaon Volcano.