Albay Gov Salceda seeks more financial aid for Mayon evacuees

A temporary evacuation center situation in Lower Binogsacan Elementary School. PHOTO by MARK ALVIC ESPLANA / Inquirer Southern Luzon

MANILA, Philippines — Albay Governor Joey Salceda has met with the disaster council to seek financial assistance as the provincial government was running out of funds for more than 12,000 families who were evacuated in anticipation of the Mayon Volcano eruption.

In a closed-door meeting at the Camp Crame national police headquarters in Quezon City, Salceda met with Local Government Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas, National ‎Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) chairman Alexander Pama, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, and Education Secretary Armin Luistro.

Salceda, in an ambush interview, told reporters that‎ the Albay government was losing funds, saying its P19 million quick response fund had been entirely consumed.

He said he met with the inter-agency council “to become more prepared.”  ‎

“Everyday, we spend P3 million to P3.5 million a day for the evacuees… Simot na ang pera ng mga LGUs (local government units),” he said.

At least 12,600 families or 55,000 persons have been displaced when the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised the alert level for Mayon to 3.

“We are trying to ‎sustain our financial support to the families but we also don’t want to sacrifice the capacity of other LGUs, especially now that there’s flooding in Caramoan,” he said in Filipino.

Salceda said they were expecting to keep the evacuees in camps outside the danger zones in 94 days. Tuesday is the 24th day, which leaves 70 more days for evacuees. The provincial government has started evacuating residents on September 15.

“If the lack of budget would continue, we will lose fiscal equilibrium. Kumbaga ‘yung pangenrol mo, ginagamit mo na sa budget para sa pagkain,” he added.

(As it is, the money you’re supposed to use for enrollment, you are now spending for food.)

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