Mayon Ashfall Reaches Foot-Slope Villages; Evacuees Swell To 20,000

Mayon Volcano in Albay continued its silent effusion of fresh lava in the past three days that has reached as far as two kilometers down the crater, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

Phivolcs said that the largest pyroclastic density current (PDC) happened on Thursday, June 15, at 11:18 p.m. and lasted up to four minutes, depositing materials within one kilometer of the gullies.

Phivolcs also observed very slow effusion of lava from the summit crater of Mayon Volcano that continued to feed lava flows and collapse debris on the Mi-isi (south) and Bonga (south-eastern) gullies.

These lava flows have advanced to around one kilometer from the summit crater while the collapse debris reached around two kilometers from the crater.

The state bureau said Alert Level 3 is maintained over Mayon Volcano as there is relatively high level of unrest. Magma is at the crater of the volcano and hazardous eruption within weeks or even days is possible.

Paul Alanis, Phivolcs resident volcanologist at the Lignon Hill Observatory in Legazpi City, said that aside from the largest pyroclastic density current, 12 more dome-collapsed PDCs were detected by their monitoring instruments, accompanied by 307 rockfall events in the past 24 hours.

Alanis said traces of ashfall dispersed from the PDCs were reported in Sitio Buga, Brgy. Nabonton, in Ligao City; and in Purok 7, Brgy. San Francisco in Gunobatan, Albay.

“We included this traces of ashfall report in our latest bulletin because this is also the first time that we received such information from the barangay residents and validated by our team,” Alanis said.

Phivolcs detected a total of 922 rockfall events as triggered by the sustained lava effusion in the past three days. Steam-laden plumes also averaged to 725 tons a day, while sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions averaged to 509 in the past 48 hours, Phivolcs data showed.

A total of 307 rockfall events, four volcanic earthquakes and 13 dome-collapse PDCs lasting two to six minutes were recorded in 24 hours since Thursday morning, the Phivolcs added.

“These data indicated that Mayon’s overall abnormal condition was sustained and remained with the alert level three parameters in the past 72 hours, or three days,” Alanis explained.

He refused to predict as to how long this quiet lava effusion would last, adding that “Mayon is a volcano that displays abnormal behavior that is so difficult to predict.”

Alanis recalled Mayon’s 2014 eruption that ended only to lava flow and did not proceed to bombastic eruption of volcanic materials.

Evacuees in shelters each 18,584

Some 5,125 families or 18,584 persons are being served across 27 different evacuation centers – including school classrooms transformed into temporary shelters – in Albay, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said.

The number of residents affected by or displaced by Mayon’s continuing volcanic activity in Albay also ballooned to a total of 9,947 families or 38,391 persons on Friday, June 16.

Some 471 families or 1,683 persons who were also forced out of their homes have decided to seek refuge elsewhere of stay with their relatives living in safer areas, the NDRRMC added.

Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (Apsemo) OIC Eugene Escobar said evacuees are being anticipated to further increase in number due to the sustained abnormal condition of Mayon.

“LGUs are starting to evacuate their residents staying near the danger zones as they are afraid to stay while seeing fresh hot lava oozing out of Mayon’s crater in a 24-hour duration period,” Escobar said.

He also said that assistance continued to pour in on Friday from national agencies and non-government organizations including filtration machines to be stationed near the clustered evacuation centers across Albay.

Albay governor Edcel Grex Lagman said that the provincial government is prepared if Phivolcs decides to raise the Alert Level. He noted that the government is prioritizing water, sanitation and hygiene in the evacuation centers as thousands of residents have already been evacuated.

Chinese gov’t donations

The Chinese government had sent food donations for the families affected by the restiveness of Mayon volcano, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Friday.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalilan noted they received the first back of rice and food donations from Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian and Political Commissar of Dalian Naval Academy, Rear Admiral Su Yinsheng last Thursday.

“On behalf of the Republic of the Philippines and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, we would like to thank you for the generosity,” he added.

Gatchalian, for his part, assured China that the donations will reach their “intended beneficiaries, specifically, the Mayon-affected families in the different evacuation centers in Albay Province.”

The first batch of food donations, composed of 502 bags of 25-kilogram rice and 100 bags of 12-kilogram rice, was shipped through the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy Training Vessel Qi Jiguang, which is currently berthed at Pier 15 in South Harbor, Manila.

Included in the shipment were 20 boxes of fast noodles, 20 boxes of biscuits and 50 boxes of flour. The next batch of donations shall be composed of 3,600 bags of 25-kilogram rice, com-pleting the 4,202 bags or 103,750 kilograms of rice donations and food items worth P4 million.

Meanwhile, Caritas Philippines – the social and humanitarian arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) – said it is ready to provide assistance to the Social Action Center (SAC) of the Diocese of Legazpi in response to Mayon’s unrest.

DTI orders price freeze

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has ordered a price freeze for basic goods in Albay amid the continued unrest of the Mayon volcano.

“Through DTI’s provincial office in Albay, I have ordered a price freeze for basic goods today,” Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual said on Friday.

“Business establishments are directed to comply to this, otherwise, we will impose necessary penalties. We want to ensure that our affected kababayans in Albay will have access to affordable and reasonably-priced basic goods especially during disasters like this,” he added.

Under the Price Act (RA7581), as amended by RA 10623, prices of basic necessities are automatically frozen at their prevailing prices for 60 days from declaration unless sooner lifted by the President.

DTI monitoring teams are continuously checking the prices and availability of basic goods like canned fish, locally manufactured instant noodles, bottled water, bread, processed milk, coffee, candles, laundry soap, detergents and salt in supermarkets, groceries and wet markets.

According to the Price Act, business establishments found to have violated the price freeze will face a penalty of imprisonment for a period of one year to 10 years, or a fine ranging from P5,000.00 to P1 million, or both, at the discretion of the court.

DPWH readies assets

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the DPWH is ready with preparedness measures and a response action plan in case of an escalation in Mayon’s alert level.

“The DPWH Disaster and Incident Management Teams of Regional and nearby District Engineering Offices have been activated, while Quick Response Assets composed of 340 individuals with 30 equipment were prepositioned for any eventuality,” he said.

As part of the preparedness measures, DPWH Regional Office 5 also identified alternate routes if the situation worsens or in case some road sections need closure for safety.

In the event that the Legazpi-Sto. Domingo-Tabaco Road will be impassable; motorists may take Ligao-Tabaco Road as an alternative road. In case the Camalig Section of Daang Maharlika will be closed, the Camalig-Comun-Gapo-Peñafrancia Road may be an alternate route.

Community pantry

A community pantry will be organized for the residents in Albay province, House Speaker Martin Romualdez announced on Friday as he expressed support for the planned community pantry project of Albay 3rd District Rep. Fernando “Didi” Cabredo.

The program will be funded by the P500,000 financial aid that Cabredo received from Romualdez and Tingog Party-list Representatives Yedda Marie. Romualdez and Jude Acidre. It will be dubbed “Community Pantry nina Speaker and Cong Didi.” – With Michael Punongbayan, Sheila Crisostomo, Jose Rodel Clapano, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Catherine Talavera, Mark Ernest Villeza