Albay, running short of funds for Mayon evacuees, gets P112M

COPING WITH STRESS A film showing is held at California Village in Barangay Tuburan in Albay province’s Ligao City as part of psychosocial activities to remove the stress and anxiety of thousands of people who were evacuated from their homes after Alert Level 3 was hoisted over Mayon Volcano. MICHAEL B. JAUCIAN/INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said the national government has given the provincial government P112 million to augment its funds for residents who had been evacuated in anticipation of an eruption of Mayon Volcano.

In a phone interview Saturday, Salceda said he got the funds at 2 p.m. on Friday.

“This is a very big help for us, since our quick response fund is running out already,” he said.

He said the Department of Social Welfare and Development gave P87 million for food while P22 million came from the Department of Education for chairs and other needs of displaced students attending classes in tents.

He said the Department of Health gave P3 million for medicines and other supplies.

The provincial government spent P19 million of its quick response fund. At least P15 million had been spent by the local governments of Guinobatan, Malilipot, Camalig, Daraga, Sto. Domingo, Ligao City and Tabaco City.

Salceda said the quick response fund, which would last until today, had been allocated for livestock evacuation, rice supply and health emergency needs of 55,520 people who had been evacuated on Sept. 15, when the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised the alert level for Mayon to 3.

Salceda had estimated that at least P311 million would be needed if the evacuees stayed in shelters for 94 days.

The province hired 378 registered nurses who would be paid P600 a day for work in the evacuation centers.

Commercial flights to and from Legazpi City would not be suspended, but pilots were advised not to fly directly above Mayon.

Maria Ong Ravanilla, tourism director in Bicol, said tourist arrivals increased by 80 percent since Mayon became restive. Most hotels in Albay and areas nearby are fully booked.

Paul Karson Alanis, science research specialist of Phivolcs, said the lava dome that had formed at the crater of the volcano is only 45 meters high, or as tall as a 12-story building, correcting earlier reports that it was 125 meters high.

Alanis said results of monitoring by Phivolcs on Sept. 27 showed that magma is still moving near the crater. At least 11 volcanic quakes and four rock fall events were recorded. The volcano also continued spewing sulfur dioxide at 680 tons per day.

He said these signs indicate imminent eruption of within weeks.