By Sally A. Altea
LEGAZPI CITY, Albay, Philippines — The Albay provincial government is prepared to assist residents affected by the unrest of Mayon Volcano, which remains under Alert Level 3, Governor Noel Rosal said Tuesday.
Rosal said the assistance will include food, medical supplies, and water.
“As far as the provincial government is concerned, we are ready (to help),” Rosal said.
He said that the provincial government has a calamity fund to support disaster response operations but may need additional resources if the volcano’s activity continues for several months.
Unlike typhoons, which typically require one or two days of sustained response, the situation at Mayon may necessitate prolonged assistance, especially for families in evacuation centers, he noted.
“Our standard operating procedure is to use our calamity fund. During typhoons, we can sustain the response for at least one or two days. But with Mayon, we do not know how long the situation will last. It could take months, so we are asking for assistance,” Rosal said.
The provincial government is also receiving support from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which is providing food assistance to evacuees and augmenting the province’s relief resources.
“What is good now is that the DSWD is already backing us up. This is a big help in providing food, so we no longer have to purchase food supplies ourselves,” Rosal said.
As of the latest report from the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, 1,083 families were staying in evacuation centers.
To address other essential needs, the provincial government is mobilizing additional assistance, particularly medical supplies and water.
“We are mobilizing assistance for medical needs, while the Apsemo is on standby in case they need additional water supplies,” Rosal said, referring to the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office.
Meanwhile, Rosal said the province would continue to accommodate tourism-related activities, conventions, meetings and events while strictly enforcing restrictions within the volcano’s 6-kilometer danger zone.
He clarified that activities such as all-terrain vehicle tours remain prohibited within the restricted area.
Rosal urged Albayanos to remain calm and observe safety guidelines as authorities continue to monitor Mayon’s activity.
“Stay calm, stay safe. We are closely monitoring the Mayon activities,” he said.
He also expressed gratitude to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for the national government’s continued assistance to affected communities, particularly evacuees and farmers.
Rosal acknowledged the support of the Office of Civil Defense and the DSWD in implementing the President’s directives.
“We are doing everything we can to maintain zero casualties,” he said. (Raiza Lucido contributed to this report/PIA Bicol/Albay)
