MMDA, Metro Manila gov’t units to aid Mayon victims

A farmer tends to his land at Barangay Busay, Daraga, Albay province, even as Mt. Mayon continues to show signs of restiveness. INQUIRER file photo / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

The local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila have pledged to assist residents affected by the Mayon volcano’s continuous eruption, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced on Wednesday.

The Metro Manila Council (MMC), which is MMDA’s policy-making body composed of the region’s 17 mayors, has agreed to extend financial and relief assistance for the victims, MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim disclosed in a statement.

“The MMDA and LGUs have agreed to pool resources – a minimum of P500,000 from each Metro LGU to assist affected municipalities in Albay in meeting the needs of their affected constituents,” Lim said.

The assistance, Lim said, would be coming from the respective disaster risk reduction management funds of the LGUs.

“Each LGU have committed to send five personnel to Albay aside from the MMDA manpower. This is a good opportunity to expose emergency responders in this mission,” he added.

Humanitarian contingents would also be deployed to affected areas devastated by the continuous eruption and lava emission of the volcano, Lim said.

Jojo Garcia, MMDA assistant general manager for planning, bared that the agency plans to deploy emergency response personnel to affected areas next week.

The personnel would haul relief goods, clothing, medicines, portalets or toilets, and water purifiers for the affected residents, Garcia said.

Vehicles, including ambulances, fire trucks, and military trucks, would also be dispatched, he added.

The MMDA Operations Unit reported that about 23,399 families or 86,052 individuals residing in six municipalities were affected by the eruption.

“A total of 17,137 families or 64,895 persons are staying at temporary shelters in 58 evacuation centers while 2,954 families or 12,169 individuals are staying with their relatives and friends in Camalig, Daraga, Guinobatan, Malilipot and Sto. Domingo in Albay,” the agency disclosed. /jpv

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