Mayon volcano in this picture taken on June 8, 2023, at 1:08 pm| Photo from INQUIRER.net / ED LUSTAN
MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers from Albay are preparing for the possible eruption of the Mayon volcano.
Albay second district representative Joey Salceda had coordinated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to request food packs in case evacuation reaches 45 to 90 days.
“The scenarios are based on historical experience with Mayon volcanic activity, where evacuation tends to be protracted to 47 days or 90 days,” Salceda said in a statement on Friday.
“We hope that the DSWD will be able to grant at least 50 percent of the food pack requirements for the 45-day scenario, considering that most of these requirements will materialize once Alert Level 4 is declared,” he added.
Meanwhile, Albay’s first district representative Edcel Lagman has also communicated with officials concerned about Mayon’s possible eruption.
“I have coordinated with DSWD secretary Rex Gatchalian, Albay governor Grex Lagman, Tabaco city mayor Krisel Lagman, and all of the five other mayors of the first district of Albay in preparation for a likely eruption of the volcano,” Lagman said.
“Food packs and other relief items are now prepositioned for the eventual calamity,” the lawmaker added.
Albay is now under a state of calamity due to the Mayon volcano’s unrest, according to its provincial Public Information Office (PIO) on Friday.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) had raised the volcano’s status to Alert Level 3 on Thursday due to increased rockfall activities.
“The Province of Albay is now placed under a state of calamity pursuant to Resolution No. 0607-2023 of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Albay, following the notice issued yesterday by Phivolcs raising the status of Mayon volcano to Alert Level 3,” said the local PIO in a Facebook post.
Phivolcs previously said Mayon has “potential explosive activity happening within days or weeks.”
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Mayon: Alert Level 3 up as rockfalls increase; ‘explosive activity’ seen in weeks- Phivolcs