Heavy rain triggers lahar flow, flood in Albay

LIGAO CITY — Heavy rain brought by the southwest monsoon have caused flooding in low-lying areas and moved lahar deposits and volcanic debris from the slopes of Mount Mayon to villages in Guinobatan town in Albay province on Saturday, July 30.

Roads in Masarawag village were temporarily impassable for motorists after volcanic debris cascaded and scattered in the area.

The villages of Minto and Maguiron, also in Guinobatan, were submerged after the river overflowed, prompting village officials to execute localized evacuations of 12 families.

“I already instructed the village chiefs around Mount Mayon to be on full alert and evacuate their residents to higher grounds for safety,” Guinobatan Mayor Paul Chino Nieva Garcia told Inquirer in a text message Saturday.

Garcia said he immediately ordered clearing operations so that the volcanic materials would not pose any danger to villagers and motorists.

Heavy equipment is also on standby for easy mobilization while food packs were also readied by social welfare and development personnel for evacuees.

Joy Maravillas, Guinobatan disaster risk reduction officer, said “minor landslide have occured and riprap dike collapsed due to incessant rains in sitio (sub-village) Libas in Maguiron village.”

Maravillas said if the downpour will continue, more damage to infrastructure, particularly on roads, might occur.

Meanwhile, 10 houses were reportedly destroyed in Barangay (village) Mandali in Mobo town in Masbate province by the rains which started pouring before dawn Saturday, Gremil Alexis Naz, spokesperson Office of Civil Defense Bicol said in a text message.

/MUF