GOVERNMENT agencies have been mobilized for disaster response in areas affected by the ashfall from Mayon Volcano, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Monday.
In a media interview at the sidelines of the opening of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (Calax) Subsection 3, Marcos said the goal is to minimize the impact of the ashfall, particularly in Guinobatan and Camalig, Albay.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has started clearing the ash from major roads and reopen them for residents and emergency responders.
Teams from the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are on the ground for medical assistance and the distribution of food and other essential support to families in evacuation centers, the president said.
“The first concern of course was the health concerns. And we were able to to bring out the people who were in the danger area. We were able to support them with medical attention,” Marcos said.
“And now we are working on opening all the thoroughfares so that everyone who needs to enter or leave can do so. And I think we will be able to say that the thoroughfares will be open maybe by today. If it doesn’t blow again, we can open the thoroughfares in and out of the area,” he added.
Locals were advised to stay away from the six-kilometer danger zone around the volcano where landslides and lava flows could occur.
Mayon’s last magmatic eruption was in June 2023, when it spewed large volumes of lava and noxious gases.
Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said on Monday Mayon is not undergoing an explosive eruption, but lava effusion.
During lava effusion, lava deposits accumulate and roll down the mountain, producing “a paraclastic density current,” which is not indicative of an explosive eruption, he said.
Confusion arose after reports of rolling rocks and hot gas flows, which some interpreted as signs of an impending explosive eruption.
Solidum said the danger zone may be expanded to include places where the lava is bound to flow.
Mayon remains under Alert Level 3, indicating ongoing volcanic unrest with no current signs of explosive eruption.
DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said on Monday the agency distributed food and nonfood items, psychosocial interventions, cash-for-work and emergency cash transfers to displaced families.
“Secretary Rex Gatchalian instructed the immediate replenishment of food packs in our warehouses to ensure sufficient resources for families affected by the abnormal activities of Mayon Volcano,” Dumlao said.
The agency said it distributed 71,153 family food packs, 7,634 nonfood items and 1,402 ready-to-eat food packs to affected residents.
The department also disbursed more than P45 million in cash assistance to over 3,400 farmers and other persons whose livelihoods were disrupted.
Dumlao added that emergency cash transfers amounting to more than P10,000 per family were provided to help cover other essential needs not included in relief goods.
The DSWD said it continues to coordinate with local government units to monitor over 1,400 families currently staying in evacuation centers in Albay while ensuring proper ventilation and cooling measures to prevent heat-related illnesses.
