OCD distributes over P9-M aid to Albay residents affected by Mayon’s unrest

PREEMPTIVE MOVE   The Albay provincial government expects to move about 4,000 families out of the 6-kilometer danger zone around the restive Mayon Volcano, including these residents in Guinobatan town on Friday. —MARK ALVIC ESPLANA

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) as of Tuesday distributed over P9-million assistance, all in kind, to residents affected by the Mayon Volcano unrest.

The OCD has distributed a total of P9.2 million worth of tarpaulin rolls, N95 face masks, family food packs, hygiene kits, pelican cases, and a portable water filtration unit to the affected residents.

“We will continue to provide necessary support from the national government to the affected local government units,” OCD administrator Ariel Nepomuceno said in a statement.

Nepomuceno added that the OCD is continuously coordinating with its regional offices as they closely monitor the situation.

Previously, OCD spokesperson Raffy Alejandro IV said the agency had earmarked P250 million funds and P108 million pesos worth of commodities for affected residents.

More than 14,000 residents have been staying in evacuation centers, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the unrest in Mayon Volcano could last for a few months based on their observations in previous years.

Phivolcs classified Mayon Volcano under Alert Level 3 last Thursday due to “potential explosive activity happening within days or weeks.”

Alert Level 3 is being hoisted when a volcano’s magma is near or at the surface, and its activity could lead to hazardous eruptions in weeks.

Under the alert level 3, the danger zone could only be expanded up to eight kilometers from the active crater, according to the metrics of the state seismologists.

Albay Governor Edcel Greco Lagman has already widen the “danger zone” of the volcano to a seven-kilometer radius.

As of Tuesday, Phivolcs said Mayon Volcano experienced one volcanic earthquake, spewing 723 metric tons of sulfur dioxide.

JPV