PEOPLE wear face masks on Sunday, May 3, 2026, as ashfall from the Mayon Volcano eruption on Saturday, May 2, 2026, blankets Guinobatan, Albay. (Nino Luces)
LEGAZPI CITY, Albay – Fifty-two barangays in the municipalities of Camalig and Guinobatan and the city of Ligao in Albay province were affected by heavy ashfall due to the Mayon Volcano eruption on Saturday.
The Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office said 18 barangays in Guinobatan, 17 in Camalig, and 17 in Ligao City were blanketed by thick ash on Saturday afternoon.
Communities located near the foot of the volcano were among the hardest hit, with some areas resembling desert-like conditions due to the volume of ash.
Authorities reported ash accumulation reaching up to one-inch thick in Barangays Masarawag, Muladbucad, and Doña Tomasa in Guinobatan.
Heavier ashfall ranging from two to three inches was recorded in Barangays Tandarora and Maninila in Guinobatan as well as Tumpa, Quirangay, and Sua in Camalig.
Jessar Adornado, OIC regional director of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD)-Bicol, clearing operations began on Saturday night.
Firefighters from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), along with personnel from fire stations in Albay, were deployed to flush ash deposits on major roads in the affected areas.
Aid distribution is ongoing, with agencies such as the Department of Health (DOH)-Bicol, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Bicol, and the Ako Bicol party-list providing face masks to residents.
Private individuals and groups have extended assistance to affected communities.
In Camalig, intermittent rains worsened conditions by turning ash-covered roads into muddy and slippery paths.
Several areas remain hazardous for motorists due to near-zero visibility caused by lingering ash in the air.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation as response efforts intensify to ensure public safety amid the continuing activity of Mayon Volcano.