US gives P13M aid for communities near Mayon eruption
By Raymund Antonio and Raymund Antonio
Published Jul 10, 2023 07:04 am
The United States government on Monday, July 10, said it had provided P13 million worth of assistance to communities affected by the ongoing eruption of Mayon Volcano in Albay province.
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) partners with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in distributing tarpaulins being used for emergency shelters in Albay. (Photo courtesy of US Embassy Manila)
The assistance was coursed through the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
In a statement, the US shared that P11 million of the P13 million went to immediate humanitarian assistance, while some P1.86 million worth of education materials were also given out.
Aside from humanitarian aid, the USAID also donated learner and teacher kits to 19 schools affected by the volcano’s rampage.
“These education materials will help ensure learning continuity for an estimated 6,000 students and 200 teachers,” the statement read.
The UN World Food Programme, with the support of the USAID and in cooperation with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), also provided logistics assistance and transported around 58,000 family food packs to evacuees.
The agency has partnered with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in providing “clean water, essential hygiene items, and emergency shelter” to over 2,500 individuals in evacuation centers in the municipalities of Camalig, Guinobatan, Libon, Malilipot, and Santo Domingo.
“USAID and IOM will also help the local communities in managing evacuation centers and repairing critical water and sanitation infrastructure,” the statement said.
The USAID works year-round with its partner agencies in the Philippines to develop programs that enhance the country’s capacity to prepare and respond to disasters.
One of these programs is the US Geological Survey’s Volcano Disaster Assistance Program, which the United States has supported for more than 35 years.
Among other things, the program “offers hazard assessment training, early warning system development, and volcano monitoring equipment installation to disaster monitoring organizations” like the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).
During disasters, USAID also deploys its own disaster response experts who coordinate response efforts with the Philippine government, civilian organizations, and humanitarian partners.
Mayon Volcano stayed under Alert Level 3 after 26 earthquakes, 303 rockfall events, and three pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) were recorded in the last 24 hours, Phivolcs’ bulletin said on Sunday, July 9.
It would stay under Alert Level 3 because of “potential explosive activity within days or weeks.”
As of July 6, Mayon’s unrest had already affected 37,953 individuals or 9,779 families residing in 26 barangays within Bicol Region, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) partners with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in distributing tarpaulins being used for emergency shelters in Albay. (Photo courtesy of US Embassy Manila)
The assistance was coursed through the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
In a statement, the US shared that P11 million of the P13 million went to immediate humanitarian assistance, while some P1.86 million worth of education materials were also given out.
Aside from humanitarian aid, the USAID also donated learner and teacher kits to 19 schools affected by the volcano’s rampage.
“These education materials will help ensure learning continuity for an estimated 6,000 students and 200 teachers,” the statement read.
The UN World Food Programme, with the support of the USAID and in cooperation with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), also provided logistics assistance and transported around 58,000 family food packs to evacuees.
The agency has partnered with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in providing “clean water, essential hygiene items, and emergency shelter” to over 2,500 individuals in evacuation centers in the municipalities of Camalig, Guinobatan, Libon, Malilipot, and Santo Domingo.
“USAID and IOM will also help the local communities in managing evacuation centers and repairing critical water and sanitation infrastructure,” the statement said.
The USAID works year-round with its partner agencies in the Philippines to develop programs that enhance the country’s capacity to prepare and respond to disasters.
One of these programs is the US Geological Survey’s Volcano Disaster Assistance Program, which the United States has supported for more than 35 years.
Among other things, the program “offers hazard assessment training, early warning system development, and volcano monitoring equipment installation to disaster monitoring organizations” like the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).
During disasters, USAID also deploys its own disaster response experts who coordinate response efforts with the Philippine government, civilian organizations, and humanitarian partners.
Mayon Volcano stayed under Alert Level 3 after 26 earthquakes, 303 rockfall events, and three pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) were recorded in the last 24 hours, Phivolcs’ bulletin said on Sunday, July 9.
It would stay under Alert Level 3 because of “potential explosive activity within days or weeks.”
As of July 6, Mayon’s unrest had already affected 37,953 individuals or 9,779 families residing in 26 barangays within Bicol Region, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.