LEGAZPI CITY, Albay – The entire province of Albay was placed under state of calamity on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 22, due to massive flooding and landslides from heavy rains caused by tropical storm "Kristine."

Board Member and Liga ng mga Barangay president Hisham Ismail said that the declaration was approved during the regular session on Tuesday afternoon.

Ismail, chairman of the crisis committee of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, said that the province can now use the calamity fund for disaster response and relief efforts.

Evacuated

More than 500 families or 1,000 individuals in Guinobatan and Camalig in Albay were evacuated due to threat of lahar from Mayon Volcano spawned by Kristine.

RESIDENTS of Barangay Maninila in Guinobatan, Albay are evacuated and transported to the Guinobatan Community College due to the threat of lahar from Mayon Volcano. (Niño N. Luces)

Joy Rañola-Maravillas, chief of the Guinobatan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said that at least 533 families from Barangays Maninila and Tandarora fled to Guinobatan Community College in Barangay Mauraro on Tuesday morning.

These two barangays are at high risk from lahar due to continuous rains by Kristine.

"Ito at katumbas ng higit isang libo katao. Sila ‘yung mga residente na high risk sa lahar dahil situated sila sa dalawang malaking gullies ng Mayon," she said.

(Evacuees are equivalent to more than 1,000 persons. They are residents who are at high risk from lahar because they live in the two large gullies of Mayon)

Maravillas said that localized evacuation is being implemented for areas affected by flooding, lahar, landslide, and wind.

"Aside from that, kahapon during our pre-disaster assessment, nag-abiso po tayo na puwede sila magpa-localized evacuation kaya meron pa pong unreported," she said.

(Aside from that, during our-disaster assessment, we advised them that they can conduct localized evacuation and there are unreported evacuees as a result)

In Camalig, Dr. Rommel Negrete, head of the MDRRMO, said that about 4,000 families will be evacuated due to lahar flow, flooding, and landslide risks.

"Sa ngayon localized evacuation ‘yung ginagawa. Lilipat sila sa mga bahay na safe naman," Negrete said.

(We are conducting localized evacuation. They will be moved to houses that are safe)

Acting Gov. Glenda Ong-Bongao has ordered the evacuation of residents living in high-risk areas especially those residents living on the slope of Mayon Volcano.

Bongao said that all families must be evacuated before 5 p.m. Tuesday to safer places.

Gremil Naz of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD)-Bicol said that as of 12 noon Tuesday, 195 families or 740 persons have been evacuated in Camarines Sur, Masbate, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, and Naga City. A total of 1,917 families or 2,354 persons are affected by Kristine.

Severe flooding were reported in town of Libon where some residential houses were carried away by flashflood.

Some areas in Legazpi City, Daraga, Guinobatan, Polangui, Oas, Tiwi, and Santo Domingo, were submerged by floodwater.

Guinobatan and Santo Domingo also reported landslides.