AWAY FROM DANGER ZONE Evacuees are hauled off to shelters from a village in Giunobatan town, Albay, on June 9, 2023, a day after Phivolcs raised the Mayon Volcano alert status to level 3. INQUIRER file photo / MARK ALVIC ESPLANA
MANILA, Philippines — Eight hundred (800) police personnel were dispatched to designated public school buildings, evacuation centers, and areas in Albay for emergency response purposes amid Mayon’s unrest, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Monday.
On June 10, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said more than 7,000 individuals or 2,169 families had been transferred to evacuation centers after Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised Alert Level 3 over the volcano.
To ensure the safety of the evacuees and residents near the danger zone, PNP spokesperson Colonel Jean Fajardo said 800 cops coming from around the province were assigned to attend to the safety of affected families.
“Naka-deploy na po ang police natin as early as June 8. Nasa around 800 dineploy na mga police personnel kasama na po yung nilagay natin sa evacuation centers,” Fajardo said in an interview over Teleradyo.
(Our police have been deployed as early as June 8. There are 800 deployed police personnel in the province, including those we have placed in evacuation centers.)
Fajardo added a Reactionary Standby Support Force is also available in case more cops are needed during an emergency.
Meanwhile, Department of Health is gearing up its emergency response teams in coordination with agencies concerned and local government units in the province.
On June 11, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said the department would specifically address the health and nutritional-related needs of the evacuees.
He added hygiene and medicine kits, as well as face masks, were already prepared in 18 designated areas of evacuations.
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