Temporary classrooms rising in Albay town

STUDENTS of Camalig North Central School in Camalig town, Albay province, attend classes outdoors while their classrooms serve as temporary homes for families evacuated from danger zones around Mayon Volcano. MARK ALVIC ESPLANA/INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON

CAMALIG, Albay—With Mayon Volcano continuing to be restive for over a month now, the Department of Education has decided to build 15 makeshift classrooms for hundreds of students of Camalig North Central School who were displaced by evacuees from the volcano’s danger zones.

John Fajardo, principal of the school, said the department decided to build temporary classrooms for the students to keep them in classes not far from their homes.

Fajardo said the students’ classrooms were now being used by Mayon evacuees.

The makeshift classrooms are expected to be finished by Monday. Classes would be held in shifts to accommodate all the displaced students.

Eduardo Laguerta, resident volcanologist of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said that although the inflation of Mayon had lessened, eruption was still imminent.

He said the second crater glow discovered on Tuesday and the 350-meter-long lava flow recorded on Sunday could be considered indications that the volcano was preparing for an explosion.

In a bulletin, Phivolcs said only one rockfall event had been reported in the last 24 hours while the amount of sulfur the volcano was emitting had fallen to 92 tons per day.

Evacuees were entertained by Valerie Weigmann, newly crowned Miss World Philippines 2014, whose mother is from Albay province.

Weigmann, wearing her crown and sash, was welcomed at the airport by Albay Gov. Josey Salceda and Department of Tourism Regional Director Nini Ong Ravanilla.

“I’ve come here to personally visit and comfort the evacuees, to make them feel better, to tell them that everything is going to be all right,” said Weigmann.