Sorsogon starts clearing ash in highways after Mt. Bulusan phreatic eruption

LEGAZPI CITY — Outgoing Sorsogon governor and Senator-elect Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero has ordered the  clearing of national highways in areas hit by ash fall from the phreatic eruption of Bulusan Volcano on Sunday morning, June 12.

Escudero said the personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection, police and soldiers immediately started the clean-up along Maharlika Highway, especially in villages of Bacolod and Rangas in Juban town which were affected by heavy ashfall.

Some residents also helped through the food-for-work program of the province.

“Checkpoints are up to warn motorists of nearly zero visibility due to the ash along Maharlika Highway,” he said in a Facebook post.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Bulusan had another phreatic eruption at 3:37 a.m. that lasted for 18 minutes. Phivolcs detected 136 volcanic earthquakes in the last 24 hours.

Escudero said ash fall affected villages in towns of Juban, Casiguran and Magallanes.

Arian Aguallo, information officer of the municipal disaster risk reduction and management office of Juban, said at least 13 villages were affected by the ash fall in their town. Based on the initial report, the heavily affected areas were villages of Añog, Puting Sapa, Bacolod, Buraburan, Catanusan, Calateo, Rangas, Sipaya and Aroroy, all in Juban.

Phivolcs raised the status of the volcano to alert level 1 after it spewed steam-rich gray plumes that rose about a kilometer on June 5.

READ: Phivolcs raises Alert Level 1 over Mount Bulusan amid increased seismic activity