THE number of displaced individuals due to Mayon Volcano’s unrest has already increased to nearly 20,000, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Friday, June 16, 2023.
In a situational report, the NDRRMC said a total of 38,391 individuals or 9,947 families were affected by the activities of Mayon, of which 18,584 are now in 27 evacuation centers.
The affected families were from the towns of Bacacay, Camalig, Ligao, Daraga, Guinobatan, Malilipot, Sto. Domingo, and Tabaco in Albay, which were within the seven kilometers declared danger zone of Mayon.
The province of Albay is currently under a state of calamity.
The disaster council said the government has already provided a total of P57,639,283.85 worth of food and non-food relief assistance.
On Thursday, June 15, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has ordered concerned government agencies to identify non-cash assistance needed by the affected families, especially those that are difficult to quantify but are equally essential, including the education and mental health of children.
“Alam ko naman may budget tayo diyan (relief assistance). Pero ang sinasabi ko, ang instruction ko sa kanila, pag-aralan ninyo nang mabuti. Hindi ‘yung basta bigay kayo nang bigay ng pera. Kailangan tingnan ninyo ano bang problema para maayos natin kung ano ‘yung problema nila,” he said.
(I know that we have a budget for that relief assistance. But what I'm saying is, my instruction to them is to study it carefully. It's not about just giving money without thinking. You need to look at what the problem is so we can address their specific issue.)
“If it takes cash, then that’s good. Well and good. But sometimes, it’s not cash. Matagal naming pinag-usapan anong gagawin natin doon sa mga bata na hindi nakakapag-aral, na walang ginagawa. These are other issues that are basically not quantifiable but they are important..The issues of mental health of those children, even the parents. Kailangan natin pag-isipan ‘yan kasi mahirap talaga ‘yung pinagdadaanan nila. So, we have to give all the support that we can,” he added.
(If it takes cash, then that's good. Well and good. But sometimes, it's not cash. We have been discussing for a long time what we can do for the children who are not able to go to school, who have nothing to do. These are other issues that are basically not quantifiable but they are important. The issues of mental health of those children, even the parents. We need to consider that because they are going through a difficult time. So, we have to give all the support that we can.)
Marcos earlier ordered national agencies to cover up to 90 days of relief assistance to Mayon evacuees to unburden the load of local government agencies in disaster response.
Over the past 24 hours, Mayon Volcano, which is under Alert Level 3 or intensified or magmatic unrest, recorded four volcanic earthquakes, 307 rockfall events and 13 pyroclastic density current events. It also emitted a total of 826 tonnes of sulfur dioxide.
There was a moderate plume emission reaching up to 750 meters tall, drifting to the general west and north northeast direction.
The agency said the crater glow is fair with very slow effusion of lava from the summit and that the volcano edifice remains inflated. (SunStar Philippines)