Thick volcanic ash from Mayon Volcano’s recent eruptions began to strain local water resources in Albay, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Monday, May 4, as government agencies scrambled to deploy filtration systems to affected towns.

The OCD said a total of 30,522 families or 102,406 individuals have been affected due to ashfall across 87 barangays.

Of this, there were 1,438 families or 5,440 individuals currently staying in 14 evacuation centers while 26 families or 85 persons were being assisted outside the shelters.

OCD Region V Officer-in-Charge Jessar Adornado identified Guinobatan as the hardest-hit area following the ashfall on May 2, while Camalig and Ligao City were also badly-hit.

“Sa buong probinsya ng Albay, technically mayroon tayong tatlong pinaka-apektadong areas: ang Camalig, Guinobatan, at Ligao City. Ang pinakana-apektuhan ngayon ay ang bayan ng Guinobatan (Across the entire province of Albay, there are technically three most affected areas: Camalig, Guinobatan, and Ligao City. The municipality of Guinobatan is currently the most affected),” Adornado said.

He noted that Guinobatan Mayor Ann Gemma Ongjoco reported significant problems with the town’s water source.

“Pagdating sa tubig, nabanggit ni Mayor [Ann] Gemma [Ongjoco] na mayroon silang problema sa water source so kaagad nating sinolusyonan ang problema (As for water, Mayor Ann Gemma Ongjoco said they had a problem with their water source, so the issue was immediately addressed),” he said.

“Magpapadala ang OCD ng 120,000 bottles ng drinking water. Sa computation namin, kailangan nila ng around 13,000 to 14,000 drinking water bottles sa mga affected barangays, covering 12 barangays ng Guinobatan (The OCD will send 120,000 bottles of drinking water. Based on our computation, around 13,000 to 14,000 bottles are needed for the affected barangays, covering 12 barangays in Guinobatan),” the OCD official added.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) arrived in Guinobatan on Monday to augment the water supply. They deployed a water purification and desalination unit capable of producing over 10,000 liters of safe drinking water daily to the affected communities.

Meanwhile, Adornado clarified that the evacuation centers are not currently overcrowded, noting that only those within the six-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) were required to evacuate.

“As of now, hindi po siksikan ang evacuation centers. ‘Yung mga nasa six-kilometer danger zone lang iyon so may ilan tayong evacuation centers. Wala tayong problema (As of now, the evacuation centers are not overcrowded. Only those from the six-kilometer danger zone are there, so we have a number of evacuation centers. We have no problem),” he said.

He said Department of Health (DOH) officials were monitoring evacuation centers to prevent the spread of illness among children and the elderly while the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has taken over the provision of hygiene kits and food packs.

Local authorities continue to enforce the six-kilometer PDZ strictly as residents were prohibited from returning to their homes or engaging in any activities within the restricted radius.

Mayon Volcano remains under Alert Level 3, indicating a high level of unrest as magma rests at the crater.

But OCD spokesperson Junie Castillo said that while the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has not raised the status to Alert Level 4, the government remains prepared for a possible escalation.

“According to Phivolcs, this will not be raised yet but preparations are ongoing, and if it is raised, different response agencies will work together,” Castillo said.

The OCD said that water trucks were continuously being deployed to Albay while the rollout of water filtration systems and the provision of essential items, such as N95 masks and malongs, were ongoing.

Road clearing operations were also the priority for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). The PCG also deployed 36 members of its Deployable Response Group (DRG) to Guinobatan on Sunday night to focus on clearing ash.

The OCD assured the public that fuel costs for these operations would be covered by the national government to reduce the financial burden on local government units.

Meanwhile, Castillo urged residents in Albay to use N95 mask or damp towel when going out, and avoid unnecessary trips outside to keep themselves safe from the ashfall.