Albay News October 2014

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Albay - Archived News
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Seal of the Province of Albay
Interactive Google Satellite Map of the Province of Albay
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Location of Albay within the Philippines
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Provincial Capitol Building of Albay, in Legazpi City

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Mayon volcano albay province.jpg

Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

  • Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
  • Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.

Continuous seismic, volcanic activity in Mayon

By Edwin Joseph Castañeda (Sunnex)

THE Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has recorded three volcanic earthquakes during the past 24 hours in the area around Mayon Volcano in Albay.

The volcano, which exhibited seismic and volcanic activity earlier this year, remains at Alert Level 3, which means that magma is at the crater and that hazardous eruption is possible within weeks.

The Phivolcs said Mayon has been emitting white steam plumes and showed inflation at the base of the mountain.

Although crater glow was not observed Thursday night due to rain clouds covering the summit, sulfur dioxide flux was measured at 448 tonnes on October 30.

All the data indicate that the volcano is still in a state of unrest due to the movement of potentially eruptible magma, it added.

With this, Phivolcs recommended that the 6-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone around the volcano and the 7-kilometer Extended Danger Zone on the southeastern flank be enforced due to the danger of rock falls, landslides and sudden explosions or dome collapse that may generate hazardous volcanic flows.

As of Friday, the agency has been closely Mayon's activity.

Albay provincial govt on half-day work on Oct. 31

By Joel Locsin /LBG (GMA News)

To allow its employees to prepare for Undas (All Saints' and All Souls' Days), the Albay provincial government has declared a half-day work for Friday, Oct. 31.

Albay Governor Jose Salceda said this is in lieu of any proclamation by Malacañang that Oct. 31 would be a non-working day.

"Since as of 8 a.m. today there is no proclamation of an Oct. 31 holiday, then in so far as the employees of the Provincial Government of Albay, their Department Heads are authorized and enjoined to order early dismissal after lunch tomorrow, Oct. 31, to 'give full opportunity to our people to properly observe All Saints Day and All Souls Day with all its religious fervor, which invariably requires them to travel to and from different regions of the country,'" Salceda said on his social media account.

Salceda has been busy with taking care of families evacuated from the danger zone around restive Mayon Volcano, which the Philippine Institute of Volcanology said threatens to erupt in weeks.

On Thursday, Salceda joined the ranks of those asking Malacañang to declare Oct. 31 a special nonworking day so people can have more time to prepare to pay respect to their dearly departed.

He cited Proclamation 265 in 2011, which declared the day before All Saints' Day a nonworking day.

"I certainly recom(mend) declaring Oct. 31 a special nonworking day as same basis for Proclamation 265 (Oct. 31, 2011) exists – to “give full opportunity to our people to properly observe the day with all its religious fervor, which invariably requires them to travel to and from different regions of the country,'” he said.

Malacañang earlier dashed hopes for a long weekend for Undas (All Saints' and All Souls' Days) this year.

Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. confirmed Oct. 31 is a regular working day.

However, some schools such as University of Santo Tomas suspended classes starting Oct. 30 for Undas.

The University of the Philippines Manila and Diliman campuses are suspending classes effective Friday afternoon.

Salceda vows to pursue Luzon plan

(MST Business)

LEGAZPI CITY — The Luzon Area Development Coordinating Council recently elected Albay Gov. Joey Salceda as chairman. Salceda, who also heads the Bicol Regional Development Council, vowed to pursue the 2045 Luzon Plan, which is now on the drafting board.

LADCC is a cluster of eight RDCs tasked to stir and steer the economic direction of mainland Luzon, the hub of the country’s business and economy and seat of the national government. It comprises 38 provinces and 771 cities and municipalities.

Salceda’s economic expertise and knowledge in the field of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction were deemed urgent factors in charting the economic development of Luzon through the LDACC.

His election is Salceda’s second time to hold a Luzon-wide post. The first was when he was elected by a cluster of five RDCs two years ago. He was also elected president of all RDC chairpersons in the country in 2012, and sat in the National Economic Development Authority board representing the country’s 17 regions.

Salceda is credited for Bicol’s impressive economic rise in so short a time. The Bicol Region is constantly battered by natural calamities but posted a record 9.4-percent growth last year to become the country’s fastest growing region, faster than the National Capital Region’s 9.1-percent growth rate.

Salceda said LADCC would initially lay out its Luzon 2045 Plan, under which its 2015-2045 spatial development plan framework would be formulated. It will basically be a plan for growth, integration and climate adaptation of the area.

The new LADCC chair said Luzon 2045 Plan would take into account the concentration or distribution of population based on hierarchy and growth; connectivity or seamless integration of urban, production and protection areas through transport and infrastructure development; vulnerability reduction or hazard mitigation and protection of elements at risk, and enhancement of adaptive capabilities.

Decampment of Mayon evacuees from extended danger zone mulled

(ANC Dateline Philippines)

Albay officials are considering decamping evacuees from the 8-kilometer extended danger zone around Mayon Volcano.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the volcano has remained relatively quiet the past week, and resources for 12,000 families are dwindling.

The Phivolcs said only residents from inside the 6 to 7-kilometer permanent danger zone may remain in evacuation centers.

DepEd builds 300 rooms for Albay kids

By Michael B. Jaucian (Inquirer Southern Luzon)

LEGAZPI CITY—The Department of Education (DepEd) has built 300 temporary classrooms in Albay province to accommodate thousands of pupils displaced due to the heightened unrest of Mayon Volcano.

The temporary classrooms will be used by pupils whose classrooms are now occupied by evacuees from Mayon’s danger zones and also by children of the evacuated families who have not been able to go to their schools, according to DepEd Bicol director Ramon Abcede.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro visited the province on Friday to check the condition of the evacuees, students and teachers occupying the temporary classrooms, also known as temporary learning spaces (TLS), that cost P18 million to build.

Abcede said each unit was built at a cost of P60,000 and could accommodate up to 50 students.

Abcede, in a phone interview, said Luistro visited the TLS units in evacuation centers at San Jose Elementary School in Malilipot town, Mayon Elementary School in Tabaco City, California Village in Kawa-Kawa Hill in Barangay (village) Tuburan in Ligao City, Guinobatan East Central School in Guinobatan town and Cabangan Elementary school in Camalig town.

Abcede said Luistro was impressed with the TLS as it would become the model for the DepEd’s calamity response program.

He said Luistro thanked the Philippine Army Engineering Brigade and the evacuees who worked for free to build the TLS units.

According to Abcede, tent classrooms that had been donated by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) were also visited by Luistro.

Abcede said the DepEd equipped the tents with native mats to serve as temporary ceilings to ease the heat inside the rooms.

The provincial government received 155 tents to serve as classrooms from Unicef after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised alert level 3 over Mayon on Sept. 15, prompting the evacuation of over 54,000 individuals to school buildings that were turned into evacuation centers.

About 50,000 students were affected when their schools were made into evacuation centers.

P61.5M released to help Mayon evacuees

(SDR/Sunnex)

THE Aquino administration has released P61.5 million to the Albay provincial government to augment their relief operations in assisting evacuees affected by the impending eruption of Mayon Volcano.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said Sunday that the Albay provincial government is working closely with other government agencies to ensure the well-being of all affected families in evacuation centers.

"We are confident that Albay Governor Joey Salceda and his team will be able to direct their relief operations with the appropriate support from the national government," he said in a statement.

The areas surrounding Mayon Volcano have been evacuated given the possibility of an eruption due to the presence of magma at the crater and a number of earthquakes in the past week, as reported by the Philippine Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Sunday morning showed that 11,859 families or 47,190 persons were still inside the evacuation centers.

Abad said the government continues to monitor the situation in Albay.

"We want to reassure the public that the National Budget can properly support contingencies like this. We have enough in the NDRMM and Quick Response Funds to draw on in the event of disasters, and our agencies and local governments are prepared to act quickly should an emergency arise," he said.

Illness a problem in temporary classrooms in Mayon-affected

By Joel Locsin / DVM (GMA News)

Diseases and heat loom as the biggest problems in the temporary learning spaces set up for students in areas affected by restive Mayon Volcano.

Many parents and even teachers had complained of the heat in these facilities, GMA Bicol's Maila Aycocho reported on GMA News TV's "Balita Pilipinas Ngayon" on Friday.

Also, parents and teachers lamented that students were falling ill inside the tents being used as temporary classrooms, as these do not offer adequate protection from the rain.

On Friday, Department of Education officials visited some of the centers in hopes of addressing some of the issues.

Students have been attending class in these temporary learning spaces because their schools are being used as evacuation centers.

More than 12,000 families had been evacuated from the danger zone around the volcano since the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level to 3.

Alert Level 3 means an eruption was likely in weeks.

World Vision rolls out relief operations in Albay

By Raffy Cabristante / VS (GMA News)

World Vision, a Christian humanitarian aid organization, on Friday said it has rolled out relief operations for evacuees displaced by the restive Mayon Volcano in Albay.

The organization, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), now targets to help more than 5,000 affected families in 13 evacuation centers in Guinobatan, Daraga, Camalig, and Sto. Domingo, it said in a statement.

World Vision's assistance includes water tanks and filtration systems, repair and construction of water facilities and toilets.

Rubber mats, pails and dippers, bath and laundry soaps, and other basic non-food items are also being delivered directly to where evacuees are staying. This is to avoid long queues during distribution of relief goods, World Vision noted.

"From monitoring the Mayon situation, we deem it necessary to augment government relief efforts and assist the growing hygiene and sanitation needs in evacuation centers to keep families safe," World Vision Philippine executive director Josaias dela Cruz said.

Over 12,000 families were forced to evacuate a month after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the status of Mayon Volcano to Alert Level 3.

World Vision is one of the largest child-focused organizations pushing for the passage of the Children Emergency Relief and Protection Act, which aims to institutionalize child protection and participation in disaster risk reduction.

Phivolcs to place sturdier markers around Mayon’s danger zone

By Joel Locsin / KG (GMA News)

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology will place sturdier markers defining the danger zone around restive Mayon Volcano, after finding some of the markers may have been moved.

Phivolcs also expects a team of geodetic engineers to arrive in Albay Thursday to determine where the markers should be placed, according to radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo on Thursday.

A separate report by GMA News' John Consulta on GMA News TV's News to Go indicated the new markers may be made of concrete.

The markers would help authorities evacuate families from the danger zone, especially after Phivolcs had raised the alert level at Mayon to "3" since mid-September.

Under Alert Level 3, an eruption is possible within weeks.

More than 12,000 families in the danger zone had been moved to evacuation centers.

Climate walkers reach Albay

By Bong Lozada (PR)

LEGAZPI CITY -- Over a thousand people participated in the Albay leg of the “People’s Walk for Climate Justice” Wednesday.

Albay Governor Joey Salceda welcomed them who have walked a distance of 500 kilometers and are now more than halfway in their quest to reach Tacloban City by November 8, the first anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda’s (Haiyan) historic landfall in the Philippines.

“Albay welcomes these climate advocates, our modern-day heroes who are raising awareness on climate change and are fighting the climate fight on behalf of millions of Filipinos who are bearing the brunt of extreme weather events that often cause disasters and human misery,” said Salceda.

A staunch supporter of the climate revolution and a champion for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation efforts, Governor Salceda spent his birthday by joining the climate walkers.

Hailed by the UN as the role model on good practices on disaster risk reduction program, Albay province consistently follows through with its goal of “zero casualty” in times of calamities whether it be from typhoons, landslides, floods, storm surges. This goal will again be put to a test with the pending eruption of Mayon Volcano.

The province is also lauded for its climate change adaptation (CCA) efforts, with Governor Salceda being the prime mover of the CCA program that led to a commitment between national and local government.

“Albay has a zero casualty policy as far as disaster impact is concerned. We have also created the institutional frameworks to deal both with climate change and disaster risks, and have set aside budgets to reduce future risks from the impacts of climate change, including through our work to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Dealing with climate change and disaster risks is the responsibility of chief executives of local government and cannot be delegated or outsourced,” Salceda added.

Ron Villafuerte, a Greenpeace volunteer climate walker and a proud native of Bicol, called on the leaders of other cities to follow suit and transition to a more resilient, low carbon pathway.

“The Philippines can lead the climate revolution if we replicate the efforts and commitments done by Albay province to the rest of the country,” he said.

Now on its 21st day, the climate walk seeks to raise awareness on climate change by getting commitments from local policymakers and holding climate programs in communities, schools and local government offices, sharing stories of local folk on the ground and mobilizing people in demanding world leaders to take climate action and holding big industry polluters and their respective governments accountable for their contribution to the climate crisis.

“Imagine what the world would be like if we had more progressive leaders that value nature and the environment, to ensure a habitable planet for all their citizens. I dedicate this walk to support the call for climate justice because I refuse to succumb to a life that is doomed to the impacts of climate change,” said Villafuerte.

For more information on the Climate Walk: A People’s Walk for Climate Justice, go to http://climatewalknow.wordpress.com.

Pagasa observes 400-m Mayon lava flow

By Bong Lozada (INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines—A lava flow on Mayon Volcano, which happened on Sunday, was seen to etch its side 300 meters to 400 meters downhill, the volcanology institute said Tuesday.

In perspective, a 300-meter to 400-meter track is approximately as long as four football pitches or 14 basketball courts.

In its Mayon bulletin, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the lava flow happened on Sunday but was investigated through an aerial survey on Monday.

Mayon recorded four volcanic earthquakes from 8 a.m. Monday0 to 8 a.m. Tuesday with three rockfall events.

Moderate emission of white steam plumes drifting southwest and west-northwest was also observed.

Also, Phivolcs observed a faint crater glow at the volcano’s peak Monday evening.

Sulfur dioxide flux was recorded at 272 metric tons per day on Monday.

Mayon Volcano remains on alert level 3.


Albay, Ligao, Tabaco cancel sem break to hold make-up classes after Mayon unrest

By Jeannette I. Andrade (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Three school divisions in the Bicol region have declared no semestral breaks in elementary and secondary schools to make up for the disruption of classes caused by Mayon Volcano’s state of unrest.

To comply with the Department of Education’s 180-school day requirement, the school division superintendents in Albay province as well as Ligao and Tabaco Cities have cancelled the scheduled semestral break of students from October 20 to 24.

Albay schools division superintendent Bebiano Sentillas said in a memorandum that while elementary and high school students not affected by the volcano’s activity could have their semestral break, classes would continue for students in schools used as evacuation centers as well as those in makeshift classrooms at evacuation sites.

This is, according to the memorandum, intended to compensate for the number of days classes have been suspended.

No semestral break order will take effect in 54 primary and secondary schools in the towns of Malilipot, Sto. Domingo, Daraga, Camalig, and Guinobatan, according to Sentillas. Of the 54 schools, 28 are being used as evacuation centers.

Tabaco City division of schools superintendent Ma. Luisa Dela Rosa, in her memorandum said that schools that have been holding classes in shifts will not have a semestral break. These are: the Bantayan Elementary School; Buhian Elementary School; Bonot Elementary School; Comon Elementary School; Magapo Elementary School; Mayon Elementary School; Nagsipit Elementary School; San Antonio Elementary School; San Isidro Elementary School; Oson Elementary School; Quinastillojan Elementary School; Tabaco Northwest Central School; Comon High School; San Antonio National High School; and the Tabaco National High School.

Dela Rosa said that the 15 elementary and high schools held classes in shifts because of Mayon Volcano’s activity.

Meanwhile, Ligao city schools division superintendent Evangeline Palencia cancelled the semestral break for all schools in the city to make up for the class suspensions due to Typhoon “Glenda” (international name Rammasun) and Mayon Volcano’s state of unrest.

Mayon’s moods play key role in tourism

By Juan Escandor Jr. (Inquirer Southern Luzon)

LEGAZPI CITY—The other gauge of whether Mayon Volcano is erupting soon can be found in the city’s hotels.

Regional tourism officials are linking the prolonged wait for the eruption with a decline in hotel occupancy rate in the city.

Maria “Nini” Ravanilla, Bicol regional tourism director, said when news first came out on Mayon becoming restive, the occupancy rate of hotels in this city was 50 percent.

She said the occupancy rate shot up to 80 percent when Mayon’s alert status was raised to 3 on Sept. 15.

Ravanilla said because of the lull in Mayon’s activities nowadays, the occupancy rate in hotels dived to a low of 30 percent.

“Maybe they (tourists) are waiting for the big bang but there is a lull (in Mayon’s activities),” said Ravanilla.

She said she wished for a scenario similar to the December 2009 eruption when Legazpi City welcomed a daily arrival of 2,500 tourists.

Ravanilla said media reports on the problems brought by Mayon’s restiveness helped turn tourists off.

“If I am a tourist having a daily dose of this kind of picture in the province, I will not dare come here,” she said.

She said two national conferences set to be held in the city have been cancelled. Albay and Legazpi City enjoyed a 66 percent growth in tourist arrivals from 2012-2013.

Ravanilla said she hoped media would not focus too much on the depressing side of the situation and let local governments do their job without exaggerating the negative side of the story.

Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal, in an interview, criticized media’s treatment of an impending “big bang” as “sensationalized and exaggerated.”

“We want to emphasize that we are safe in Legazpi even if Mayon Volcano erupts,” he said.

Albay gov asks Phivolcs for help in marking Mayon danger zones

By Joel Locsin/JDS, GMA News

With the threat of an eruption far from over, the Albay provincial government has asked the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology for help in marking the danger zones around restive Mayon volcano.

Albay Governor Jose Salceda, who made the request to Phivolcs, said this would serve not just as a guide to teams in chokepoints and patrols around the danger zones, but also as a deterrent to residents returning to their homes.

"In order for us to be assured that they refrain from going back to their respective houses we have established chokepoints and foot patrols at the strategic locations around the volcano to serve as deterrent to those who still insist in returning back. However, the (primary) problem arising during apprehension the lack of permanent marker delineating the danger zone hence creating arguments during apprehension," he said in a letter to Phivolcs director Renato Solidum Jr. that he also posted online.

He is asking for "technical assistance" from Phivolcs to help map out the 6-km permanent danger zone, 7-km extended danger zone, and 8-km high-risk zone.

This will allow the provincial government "to set up permanent markers by our Provincial Engineering’s Office," Salceda said.

Since Phivolcs raised the alert level at Mayon to "3" in mid-September, the provincial government has evacuated more than 12,000 families at the volcano's danger zone.

As of Saturday, Salceda said 12,733 families or 54,778 people from the 6-km radius PDZ and the 7-km EDZ at the southeast quadrant of Mayon are staying in 46 evacuation camps.

"This figure includes those who came from outside of the danger zone due to fear or trauma suffered by them during the past eruptions hence we have no choice but to accommodate them inside the evacuation centers," he said.

DepEd builds makeshift rooms for students forced out by Mayon evacuees

By Michael B. Jaucian (Inquirer Southern Luzon)

Students get visit from Ms. World Philippines

CAMALIG, Albay, Philippines—With Mayon Volcano continuing to be restive for more than a month now, the Department of Education has decided to build 15 makeshift classrooms for hundreds of students of the Camalig North Central School displaced by evacuees from the volcano’s danger zones.

John Fajardo, principal of the school, said the department decided to build temporary classrooms for the students so that they would no longer have go to another school to attend classes because their own classrooms are being used by the evacuees.

The makeshift classrooms are expected to be finished by Monday. Classes will be held in shifts to accommodate all the displaced students, he said.

Eduardo Laguerta, resident volcanologist of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said while the inflation of Mayon has lessened, an eruption was still in progress and a big explosion still imminent.

He said crater glow that became evident on Tuesday and the 350-meter-long lava flow recorded Sunday were indications that the volcano was headed for an explosion.

In a bulletin, Phivolcs said only one rock fall was reported during the previous 24 hours while the amount of sulfur the volcano was emitting had fallen to 92 tons per day.

Meanwhile, the evacuees were to be entertained by Valerie Weigmann, newly crowned 2014 Ms World Philippines, whose mother is from Albay.

Weigmann, wearing her crown and sash, was welcomed at the airport by Gov. Joey Salceda and tourism regional chief Nini Ong Ravanilla.

“I’ve come here to personally visit and comfort the evacuees, to make them feel better, to tell them that everything is gonna be all right,” said Weigmann.

Miss World Philippines gets warm welcome in Albay

By Joel Locsin /LBG (GMA News)

Newly crowned Miss World Philippines 2014 Valerie Weigmann received a warm welcome from her provincemates as she arrived in Albay for a homecoming Thursday morning.

Weigmann said she is excited to meet with families evacuated from their homes in the danger zone around restive Mayon Volcano.

"Excited akong ma-meet sila and comfort them also para malaman nila they are not alone," she told radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo shortly after her arrival in Legazpi City.

Photos tweeted by dzBB's Mateo showed some costumed residents performing a dance to welcome Weigmann.

Weigmann is expected to tour parts of Albay and meet with Mayon evacuees.

More than 12,000 families had been evacuated from Mayon's danger zone since the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level at Mayon to "3."

Alert level 3 means an eruption is expected in weeks.

Weigmann's itinerary as posted on Governor Jose Salceda's Facebook account includes a motorcade from Legazpi City to Daraga, the provincial capitol, and Camalig.

Albay Gov defends DSWD over spoilage of relief packs for Mayon evacuees

By Aries Joseph Hegina (INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines—Albay Governor Joey Salceda defended the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Wednesday over the wastage of 32 food packs intended for Mayon Volcano evacuees dismissing it as a “reasonable error”.

“Let’s talk about the 99.9% that was good. 0.1% is reasonable error from 7x (seven times) handing & never in the hands of an evacuee being captured by camp mgt [management] protocols,” Salceda said on his official Facebook page.

Salceda maintained that the spoilage of the 32 food packs out of 23, 450 is a “statistically reasonable error” in an emergency situation.

The Albay governor clarified that the spoiled food packs have not reached the evacuees as these have been intercepted before distribution.

He also said that the spoilage of the goods is valid as the food packs undergo multiple handling before they reach evacuation sites.

Despite the discovery of the spoiled food packs, Salceda maintained that the welfare of the evacuees “is of the highest importance.”

Arnel Garcia, DSWD Bicol regional director, said that the food packs went spoiled because several cans were broken during the delivery.

“These food packs were contaminated because several cans of sardines were broken during delivery, which, in turn, contaminated rice inside the food packs. All of these were released but we assure that we will replace all of these,” Garcia said.

The contents of the food packs include: Six kilos of rice, four cans of sardines, four cans of corned beef, six packs of noodles and cereal drinks.

The 23,450 food packs arrived in Albay Sunday and were distributed by Cabinet officials Local Government Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman,‎ presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, Health Secretary Enrique Ona, and Environment Secretary Ramon Paje.

Albay gov. thanks Sorsogon, CamSur for aid to Mayon-affected towns

By Joel Locsin/KG (GMA News)

Albay Governor Jose Salceda on Monday thanked Sorsogon and Camarines Sur provinces for extending assistance to some Albay towns affected by the situation caused by restive Mayon Volcano.

In posts on his Facebook account, Salceda said Sorsogon gave P550,000 to Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan, Sto. Domingo and Malilipot.

He said Daraga received P150,000, while the four other towns received P100,000 each.

Salceda also thanked Camarines Sur for sending a medical team to Sto. Domingo town in Albay.

The team includes five doctors and eight nurses.

More than 12,000 families from various areas of Albay at the danger zone of Mayon had been evacuated from their homes since the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level there to "3."

Alert Level 3 means an eruption is due within weeks.

Albay receives relief supplies from DSWD, NDRRMC

(Rappler.com)

Food packs, malong, mosquito nets, mats, water containers, hygiene kits, and medicines were delivered to Albay on October 12

MANILA, Philippines – Relief supplies from the national government worth P9.4 million were delivered to Albay on Sunday, October 12, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said in a statement.

The supplies included food packs, malong, mosquito nets, mats, water containers, hygiene kits, and medicines, the DSWD said. They were brought to Guinobatan, Albay, through the “Ligtas Mayon Caravan” jointly organized by the DSWD and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), in partnership with its member agencies.

“We not only want the evacuees to be safe but also to be comfortable and have enough food in their stay in the evacuation centers,” the statement quoted DSWD Secretary Corazon Soliman as saying.

It has almost been a month since Mayon Volcano in the province of Albay was placed on "Alert Level 3,” after showing signs of "relatively high unrest.” Since then, both the local and the national government have been working on evacuating thousands of residents.

“The food packs are more than enough to augment the daily needs of the evacuees especially now that PHILVOCS has warned of an explosive Mayon eruption anytime,” the statement quoted Albay Governor Joey Salceda as saying.

Truckloads of relief packs arrive in Albay

By Julliane Love De Jesus (INQUIRER.net)

GUINOBATAN, Albay–Thirty-one truckloads of relief goods arrived in Albay province on Sunday in anticipation of Mayon Volcano’s eruption, which has displaced more than 50,000 families to date.

Cabinet secretaries handed over to local government officials the first tranche of relief, which contains at least 22,000 food packs and hygiene kits, for 12,931 families or 57,633 persons.

Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman,‎ presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, Health Secretary Enrique Ona, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje and Albay Governor Joey Salceda led the turnover ceremony in Guinobatan town in Albay.

After an aerial inspection on Mayon, the Cabinet officials went to Travesia Elementary School in Guinobatan where thousands of evacuees are staying.

Each relief pack contains six kilos of rice, eight canned ‎goods, six noodle packs, a hygiene kit containing mats, blankets, medicines, pail, water container, and aqua tablets.

The relief goods, however, are only good for four days.

Since the alert level 3 of Mayon was raised‎, displaced persons had been staying in 48 evacuation centers kilometers away from the 6-km permanent danger zone at the foot of the volcano.

Team Albay’s Mayon evacuation sets best practice

(MST News)

Albay Governor Joey Salceda lauded the effective evacuation of some 55,000 residents from the danger zones of Mayon volcano.

In the recent 24th assessment meetings of Team Albay’s cluster groups, all 83 schools have resumed classes within 10 days with 90 percent attendance.

He cited zero crime from the start of evacuation on September 15 based on reports of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Albay Provincial Office from seven local government units hosting 45 evacuation centers.

Salceda commended Team Albay members who have been working on shifts to cover round-the-clock operations.

The evacuees wellbeing were attended to by Albay Health Emergency Clinics in evacuation sites through about 1,000 rooms to include five AECID Permanent Evacuation Centers, conduct of 450 Emergency Management Trainings sponsored by Albay over the past 5 years, and hiring of 300 nurses with EMT exposure, at P18,000 per month, he said.

The clinics are managed from referral tertiary/secondary hospitals. Clinics in Ligao City and Guinobatan are under the Josefina B Duran Memorial Hospital; those in Tabaco City, Malilipot and Santo Doming are under the Ziga Memorial Hospital; while those in Daraga and Camalig towns are with the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital.

Salceda said Team Albay attained the good results in education primarily by institutional partnership with Unicef which quickly delivered in one week 200 tents now used as temporary classrooms, in two shifts; and by using the under-utilized capacity in nearby schools.

Team Albay was organized by Salceda about four years ago for local disaster risk reduction management. Since then, it has seen action in eleven major calamities across the country and had received numerous awards and recognitions for its feats.

Albay govt plans to permanently relocate residents of Mayon danger areas

By Imelda V. Abano (InterAksyon.com)

LEGAZPI CITY— Saying that the foot of the Philippines’ most active volcano is considered an undesirable place to live, Albay Governor Joey Salceda said the local government is eyeing the permanent relocation of thousands of residents to safer locations.

Salceda said the province would be spending about P600 million for the housing project of about 2,898 families who are residing within the six-kilometer radius danger zone. He explained that the one-time cost of P600 million is a more economical option than indefinitely spending for evacuation each time Mayon erupts, as the costs add up to billions.

“We can build permanent houses for them because it is the most practical measure instead of evacuating people every time Mayon threatens to erupt. We are losing millions of pesos just for evacuation,” Salceda explained.

He assured residents that basic facilities such as clean water, health centers and schools, as well as livelihood activities, would be included in the plan.

“This is the best option for us to attain our zero-casualty goal during Mayon eruptions. We wanted to transfer them from a dangerous environment to safer zones,” Salceda said.

The provincial government has already imposed a ban on people entering the danger zones.

He said the provincial government had planned at first to allow the more than 12,857 families or 57,567 people to return from their houses months after the volcanic eruption, but it would cost the government some P352 million every time there is an evacuation.

Another option they have studied: relocate all 12,857 families who live inside the eight-kilometer danger zone, This, the governor said, would cost P3.6 billion.

It has been 26 days since alert level 3 was hoisted over Mayon Volcano, and President Benigno Aquino III pledged to release funds and assistance to the province. Alert level 3 means eruption is expected within weeks.

Salceda said a total of P283,535,174 million will be released for the disaster management, procurement of food packs, essential and hygiene kits, construction of toilets, cash-for-work program and procurement of other basic needs of people from 40 barangays and 5 municipalities staying in 48 evacuation sites.

Cabinet execs to lead weekend food caravan

On Sunday, 64 trucks will deliver around 54,000 food packs which consist of 6 kilos of rice, canned goods, noodles, milk, among others, that will last for eight days. The caravan dubbed “Zero Casualty and Good Governance Caravan” will also deliver 12,600 family kits and 12, 600 hygiene kits.

Salceda confirmed that Cabinet members who will join the caravan are Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Education Secretary Armin Luistro, Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman and Health Secretary Enrique Ona.

In its latest bulletin, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded three volcanic earthquakes and a rockfall event, although the emitted sulfur dioxide remained high at 387 metric tonnes.

“A sudden big explosion is still expected within weeks. The magma beneath is continuously rising and that dome collapse may generate hazardous volcanic flows,” said Ed Laguerta, provincial volcanologist of the Phivolcs.

Cagsawa Ruins, a safe viewing spot for restive Mayon Volcano

By Trisha Macas/KG (GMA News)

Alert level 3 has been raised at Mayon Volcano. Residents from the danger zones extending up to eight kilometers have been evacuated. But tourists still flock to Albay to witness the eruption of the world's perfect cone.

One of the viewing spots they can mark is the Cagsawa Ruins in Daraga, Albay.

The Cagsawa Ruins is actually the remaining belfry of the Cagsawa Church which was engulfed by lahar and pyroclastic flow when the Mayon erupted in February 1814.

Today, however, it serves as a safe spot to marvel at Mayon's endless beauty.

Aside from a great view of the volcano, Cagsawa Ruins also offers souvenir shops for tourists who want to bring home pasalubong as well as services of photographers and guides to make their experience more memorable.

In an interview with Daraga's tourism officer Cristina Agapita Pacres with Unang Balita on Wednesday morning, she said local and foreign tourists have started to visit Cagsawa Ruins ever since the news of Mayon's possible eruption.

Pacres has also reminded the tourists that activities around Mayon Volcano are prohibited now that alert level 3 has been raised.

Alert Level 3 means Mayon "is exhibiting relatively high unrest and that magma is at the crater and that hazardous eruption is possible within weeks, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said on Sept. 15.

US sends P4.4M for Mayon evacuees

(HDT/Sunnex)

A TOTAL of P4.4 million has been sent by the government of the United States (US) for the assistance of displaced families affected by the Mayon Volcano in Albay.

US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg said, in a statement, that they want to provide assistance to the more than 12,000 families evacuated ahead of the looming eruption of the volcano.

"The United States stands ready to help families cope with the challenges posed by the temporary displacement," Goldberg said.

The US Embassy in Manila added that the United States Agency for International Development (Usaid) is also ready to provide emergency sanitation, hygiene, and non-food items to families seeking temporary refuge in evacuation centers.

Also, the United States said humanitarian assistance will be distributed by World Vision for Usaid and will focus on improving access to safe drinking water, functioning latrines, and temporary classrooms.

"The United States is always ready to lend a hand to the Philippines, especially during times of disaster," the US envoy said.

For several weeks, Mayon has been placed by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology under Alert Level 3.

This has prompted the provincial government of Albay to evacuate more than 12,000 families living within the six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone.

Goldberg said the US government will continuously monitor the situation in Albay and the status of evacuees.

"The US government will continue to monitor the Mayon situation and work with Philippine authorities to help the affected families," said Goldberg.

OCD Bicol holds Zumba classes for Mayon evacuees

By Joel Locsin/VC (GMA News)

Here's another effort by authorities in Bicol to keep evacuees from returning to their homes within the danger zone around restive Mayon Volcano: Zumba!

The Office of Civil Defense in Bicol is conducting zumba classes to keep the residents entertained and occupied, Albay Governor Jose Salceda said.

Salceda posted on his social media accounts a photo of OCD members leading residents in the zumba exercises.

Zumba is a dance fitness program that combines dance and aerobics.

The Albay provincial government has been trying to find ways to keep evacuees from returning to their homes in the danger zone.

More than 12,000 families have been evacuated from the danger zone which could extend up to eight kilometers from Mayon since the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level there to "3."

An alert level of "3" means an eruption is possible within weeks.

Phivolcs: Eruption possible within weeks or months

By Ma. April Mier, Michael B. Jaucian (Inquirer Southern Luzon)

LEGAZPI CITY—The possibility of an eruption got bigger with the current parameters shown by Mayon Volcano.

But the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) could not say when, only saying it could be “within weeks or months.”

Edgardo Villacorte, geodetic expert of Phivolcs in Manila, said the 3 millimeter

inflation of the volcano would add more hazard should an eruption occur.

He said in a press briefing on Saturday that the inflation means a volume of magma, estimated to be two million cubic meters or equivalent to 80,000 truckloads of rocks, is still located in the magma chamber that is around five kilometers away from the summit.

“If the new magma goes up to the summit, it will be added to the volume of the magma near the crater,” said Villacorte.

Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum earlier estimated that the volume of magma located near the summit of the volcano to be around 30 million cubic meters or equivalent to 3 million truckloads of rocks.

Villacorte said the number of geophysical events have been minimal with only five rockfall events and one volcanic quake recorded on Saturday morning.

Sulfur dioxide emission was 308 tons per day on Oct. 2, which is less than the 1,421 tons per day recorded last Sept. 29.

He said the decrease in gas emission means the crater is still clogged by the lava dome or lava pile that would cause the build-up of more pressure inside.

“As time goes by, the [situation of the] volcano becomes more critical, there is a big possibility of an eruption but we cannot tell exactly when; it may be weeks or months,” said Villacorte.

He said based on their monitoring, magma has been ascending or moving upward slowly with the speed of only one meter per hour.

“The movement of magma upward is continuous, which is an indication of an eruption. If the pressure increases, the movement can change anytime,” he added.

Phivolcs warned the public not to venture into the six-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ) because of the hazard of continuous rockfalls with boulders as big as a jeepney.

No settlement land

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said there are plans to declare the six-km PDZ a “no settlement area.”

He said the government needs to allocate P600 million to buy around 12,000 hectares of private lands inside the PDZ and buy lots for the permanent relocation of 2,898 families or 15,049 people within these areas.

“Every person has the attachment to place or pride of place that’s why they come back even if they’re relocated, especially the farmers who really own a land,” said Salceda.

He said if the permanent danger zone is declared a “no settlement area” there must be totally no human activity in the area.

“If we buy the land, there’s no reason for them to go back because we will be giving them a permanent relocation area,” said Salceda.

He said if the relocation plan would not materialize, the government would have to spend P352 million every time the families are evacuated for a period of three months.

This amount is the projected expense for around 12,000 families or 50,000 people within the six-km PDZ and six- to eight-km extended danger zone to be evacuated.

There were 12,739 families or 54,537 people evacuated since alert level 3 was raised over Mayon on Sept. 15.

Col. Raul Farnacio, 901st Infantry Brigade commanding officer, said the Army have been using 11 units of All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) in patrolling and securing the six-km PDZ.

He said the ATVs allow them easy access to the river beds and gullies within the declared prohibited areas.

Farnacio said they were able to restrict human activity in the danger zones through checkpoints and regular patrol in the areas.

Meanwhile, evacuation centers in the cities of Ligao and Tabaco and the towns of Camalig, Daraga and Guinobatan were provided, for their entertainment, with 45-inch LED television sets, along with a satellite disk cable, that were sponsored by a telecommunications company.

Albay governor issues guidelines to protect Mayon evacuees’ dignity

By Joel Locsin /LBG (GMA News)

Residents displaced by the threat of restive Mayon Volcano should always be treated with dignity.

The reminder came from Albay Governor Jose Salceda, saying that the dignity of evacuees and the integrity of their families should be protected and respected.

"The dignity of persons and the integrity of families are central to our goals. Thus, in times of displacement, we must be... conscious to respect dignity... of the internally displaced persons," Salceda said.

Among the guidelines are:

- Kill the queue: rations must be distributed through barangay officials then through barangay kagawads and then to purok officers. Rations are released at least one day ahead so families can plan.
- No community kitchen or soup kitchen.
- Decongest the rooms: limit each room to 20 people or four to five families "to make operative the dignity of persons and the intimacy (whatever is left of it) among the family members, even under adverse conditions." Guinobatan uses a hotel for the special sectors like the elderly and persons with disability.
- Right to classroom: evacuees have superior rights over schoolchildren.
- Temporary classrooms and permanent evacuation centers.
- Every center is a barangay: each evacuation camp has a health station. All 22 evacuation camps are now manned 24/7 by a health station or clinic with 3 EMTs and a rotating doctor under AHEM.
- Open city declaration of Albay: donors can directly access or choose among the 22 evacuation camps without having to seek permission from the province.
- Disaster tourism or even "voluntourism" is not promoted or sponsored activity by the provincial government.

Palace: Gov’t keeps up close coordination with Albay evacuees during impending Mayon eruption

By Rie Takumi/VC (GMA News)

The government once again expressed its continued support toward the province of Albay as it awaits Mayon volcano's eruption.

In a report on GMA News TV Live, Palace spokesperson Abigail Valte said the government has responded to Governor Joey Salceda's latest request for additional emergency goods.

Valte said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were among the first to respond to their request, with the latter continuing its patrol along the volcano's six-kilometer danger zone.

She also requested residents to cooperate and stay clear of the danger zone, especially as it nears eruption.

Last week, the Palace sent out a similar missive, saying it was ready to provide assistance since the province's emergency budget was depleted.

In addition to government assistance, the Albay government announced evacuation camps for families living in the six-kilometer danger zone an "open city" for charitable organizations to directly interact with.

DAR goes into infra projects, puts P10.4 million in 4 Albay towns

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said it is funding some P10.4-million infrastructure projects in Albay to boost further economic activities in the province.

Albay Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Romulo Britanico said the money would go to the building of a 100-linear-meter spillway in Barangay Aurora-White Deer, Jovellar; a 1.5-kilometer Marayag-San Isidro farm-to-market road in Libon; and a 35-linear-meter concrete footbridge in Sitio Lagsingan, Rapu-Rapu.

The DAR said the money would also be used for a coconut-based processing and farming system in Guinobatan.

Britanico said preparatory activities are now being simultaneously undertaken by the DAR-Albay Office after a signing of the memorandum of agreement with the concerned municipal mayors on September 10.

The local government unit (LGU) of Guinobatan is one of the beneficiaries in the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Process (GPBP), which provides LGUs funding support from various national government agencies.

Under the program, previously known as “bottom-up budgeting,” is a strategy adopted in 2011 to encourage grassroots participation in the budget process.

A municipality is entitled to P15 million, while a city is entitled to P30 million under the GPBP. Projects under the program are identified by civil-society organizations in partnership with concerned LGUs.

“Next year we expect more [and] bigger projects through the DAR to sustain the development of our locality,” Guinobatan Mayor Ann Gemma Ongjoco said.

Britanico said the project would benefit 10,400 farmers, of which 527 are agrarian-reform beneficiaries.

‘Bicol Express’ meals for Mayon evacuees

By Maricar Cinco

They need not wait for disaster to happen, so a team of volunteers is now on its way to Albay province to put up a community kitchen that would serve hot meals to thousands of families displaced by the anticipated eruption of Mayon Volcano.

Seasoned photographer Alex Baluyut, who started the Art Relief Mobile Kitchen (ARMK) in the aftermath of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” in November 2013, said the idea to feed the Mayon evacuees came, this time, from the younger members of the group.

ARMK is a loose group of volunteer artists and individuals that mobilized a community kitchen at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City as survivors from the provinces hit by Yolanda arrived. It also conducted a feeding program in Hernani town, Samar province, and Bantayan Island in Cebu province, both typhoon-hit areas, during Christmas time last year and on Valentine’s Day this year.

Asked how many people the group has served, Baluyut said: “I already stopped counting at 50,000 meals.”

The team, which left Manila Wednesday, is headed to San Jose Elementary School in Barangay (village) Calbayog, which currently shelters 2,463 people and is the biggest evacuation center in Malilipot town.

It targets to cook hot meals or snacks for the evacuees for at least five days or until their supplies last in a campaign aptly called “Bicol Express,” which is also the popular name of the commuter train service of the Philippine National Railways and a Bicolano dish with chili and coconut milk as main ingredients.

“You know, the inflow of donations seems to slack at this time. Maybe because we have this ‘reactionary’ (attitude toward disasters) that since there is no eruption yet, people think everything seems to be already in place,” Baluyut said in a phone interview on Tuesday.

“But we are looking at a long evacuation period here. We admire the actions of (Albay) Governor (Joey) Salceda and the LGUs (local government units), but their resources are also getting depleted. They’ll need all the help we can give,” he said.

The provincial government of Albay earlier said that more than 55,000 people had been evacuated since Sept. 15 after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised Alert Level 3 for Mayon on Sept 15.

Baluyut, who resides in Los Baños town, Laguna, and is fond of cooking meals for a large number of guests, said the group’s menu involved basic dishes, “perhaps mongo beans, rice or dried fish.”

Why not distribute the usual relief packs of canned goods or noodles? “We want this to be an act of service to the community to raise human morale amid a typhoon, flood or earthquake,” Baluyut said.

DENR puts forest, fire protection officers on full alert as Mayon eruption looms

By Orti Despuez (InterAksyon.com)

MANILA - With Mayon Volcano's explosion seen as just days away, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) placed all forest and fire protection officers in Albay province on high alert against threat of potential wildfires.

DENR Secretary Ramon Paje warned that volcanic eruptions and wildfires pose serious hazards not only to humans but also to the surrounding natural ecosystems, which the DENR is duty-bound to protect and preserve.

Paje's statement said partly: “We have to be ready for potential wildfires, including whatever intervention may be needed to protect natural ecosystems that are highly vulnerable to catastrophic damage the volcanic explosion may cause.”

Watershed crucial, must be protected

The DENR chief also ordered local forestry officials to ensure the protection of the seedlings to be planted at the foot of Mount Mayon under the Aquino administration’s National Greening Program (NGP), particularly those within the 76,770-hectare Quinale watershed that traverses the base of the volcano and includes some areas within the six-kilometer permanent danger zone.

Paje described the watershed area as an NGP priority in Albay due to its importance to the province’s irrigation needs and agricultural activities, as well as in terms of flood prevention - especially in the towns of Oas, Polangui and Libon and the city of Ligao.

Albay province hosts at least 81 NGP sites, covering some 5,269 hectares of forestland. These are being maintained by the DENR in collaboration with civil society groups and host communities in the cities of Legazpi, Tabaco and Ligao, and the towns of Camalig, Daraga, Guinobatan and Sto. Domingo.

Paje also directed the executive director of DENR's Bicol office to tap the various Regional Forest Fire Respondent Teams (RFFRTs) “should the situation call for their services.”

RFFRTs are composed of special units called “Leatherbacks” drawn from DENR field offices, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and volunteer groups. They are tasked to conduct round-the-clock monitoring and initiate quick response during wildfires.

These teams underwent intensive trainings and are placed on standby near areas of the region that are vulnerable to forest fires.

The DENR is now preparing thematic maps, and the profile of timberlands and protected areas in the region that will serve as guide in the posting of the RFFRTs. The maps will include trails and access roads, location of water sources and forest ranger stations.

Paje said the DENR will also tap beneficiaries of the community-based forest management projects in Albay to establish fire and green breaks.

“Stakeholders such as forest-based communities are better able to deal immediately with fire emergencies. Their services will help us respond quickly when fire breaks out in remote places,” Paje said.

The DENR provides science-based fire management training to members of people’s organizations.

The creation of RFFRTs is a result of an agreement forged last July between the DENR-Region 5 office and the BFP. The DENR-BFP anti-forest fire partnership “underscores the pro-active stance the DENR is aggressively pursuing in forest fire prevention which is central to sustaining the gains we have achieved so far in NGP,” Paje said.

The NGP, created in 2011 under Executive Order No. 26, aims to plant 1.5 billion trees within 1.5 million hectares of forestlands, mangrove and protected areas, ancestral domains, civil and military reservations, and urban areas by 2016.

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