Camalig town in Albay moves disaster agency 3.5 km further away from Mayon crater

Mayon Volcano erupts at 8:45am in the morning of January 23, 2018. A view from a field in Salugan in Camalig, Albay. Photo by George Gio Brondial/Inquirer Southern Luzon

CAMALIG, Albay—The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) in this town on Tuesday relocated its space as ash fall continues to shower over parts of the third and second districts of Albay.

Rommel Negrete, MDRRMO of Camalig, said Mayor Maria Ahrdail Baldo decided to move to Quituinan Hills at 1:47 p.m., which he said is 12 kilometers away from the Mayon Volcano’s crater.

“Mayor Baldo decided to move to Quituinan Hills so we can be near the evacuation centers,” Negrete said.

The MDRRMO has been doing their operations from the town proper, which is within the 8.5-kilometer radius.

The decision came only minutes after another ash column was observed by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) coming out from the volcano’s crater.

Eduardo Laguerta, resident volcanologist of Phivolcs’ Mayon Volcano Observatory, said the ash column reached three kilometers high.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Army, the Philippine National Police, rural health units, and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) remained in the Camalig town proper and were on standby for rescue operations.

The number of evacuees in Camalig has reached 8,952 people (2,294 families) but there were still no final figures since evacuations in five more villages were ongoing.