DSWD ready to buy commercial rice for Mayon evacuees, other relief operations
THE DEPARTMENT of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) yesterday gave assurance that it is prepared to procure commercial rice should there be insufficient supply from the National Food Authority (NFA) for disaster relief operations relating to Mayon Volcano and other areas. “So far, the Department has stocks of NFA rice that will last until the first week of March,” DSWD Officerin-Charge Emmanuel A. Leyco said in a statement. However, he added, “In case there will be a shortage of NFA rice, the Department will explore purchasing commercial rice. As an institution mandated to quickly implement relief operations in times of disaster, our paramount concern is to ensure that ample family food packs are available for distribution to displaced families.” DSWD said under Executive Order 58 series of 1998, the agency can consider other rice supply sources after the NFA issues a certification stating its inability to provide the requirement.
LAVA FLOW
Alert Level 4 remains in place for Mayon Volcano, which continues to exhibit weak lava fountaining, lava flow and degassing from the summit crater, according to the Feb. 12 bulletin of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). Lava flows from the summit crater have advanced to 3.3 kilometers (kms), 4.5 kms and 900 meters down the Miisi, Bonga and Basud Gullies, respectively. Pyroclastic density currents have deposited to the 4.6-, 4.5-, and 4.2-km reaches of the Miisi, Bonga and Basud Gullies, respectively. Phivolcs also reiterated that the “public is strongly advised to be vigilant and desist from entering the eight kilometer-radius danger zone.”