MANILA, Philippines -- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) activated on Monday its disaster management team in Albay province in anticipation of a major eruption of the Mayon volcano.

Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. named undersecretary Rafael Yabut as head of the team of maintenance crew and medical personnel that would help the Albay local government and other agencies in ensuring the safety of residents around the restive volcano.

Ebdane said the team was tasked to coordinate the deployment of service vehicles and dump trucks for an evacuation.

The team will work “24/7 without letup,” Yabut said in a statement.

Alternate routes for vehicles and drafted evacuation plans in case of an explosion have been readied, said Orlando Roces, DPWH Bicol chief.

Last week, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised alert level 2 on the Mayon volcano after it showed signs of increased activity.

Alert Level 2 means abnormal volcanic activity could lead to ash explosion.

Volcanologists monitoring Mayon said the eruption this year could be bigger than the 2006 eruption.