Albay mulls cutting power supply in Mayon danger zone

Mayon Volcano. MARK ALVIC ESPLANA/INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines — The provincial government of Albay is planning to shut down electricity around Mayon Volcano particularly in areas within the declared permanent danger zones.

Albay Governor Joey Salceda said the action was one of the best ways to prevent evacuees from returning to their homes while a volcanic eruption is imminent.

“It is a natural sequence of measures to ensure zero casualty through zero exposure,” Salceda said in a telephone interview.

He said they would be stricter with the evacuees in the coming days as they are doing everything to make their stay comfortable at the evacuation centers.

Salceda said local authorities have not stopped providing the evacuees’ basic needs like food with each family receiving five kilos of rice and canned goods everyday.

“We are closely working on the comfort rooms and bathrooms in evacuation centers which serve as alibis of evacuees in going back to their houses,” Salceda added. The evacuees have been citing the poor state of toilet facilities in the shelters as reasons for returning to their homes.

More than 12,700 families or about 54,500 people have been evacuated from the six- to eight-km danger zone since alert level 3 was raised over Mayon on September 15.

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