Albay residents outside 8-km danger zone told to decamp
LEGAZPI CITY– Authorities have ordered a decamp of all residents outside the eight-kilometer extended danger zone to solve the problem of heavy congestion in the evacuation centers here.
Claudio Yucot, director of the Office of Civil Defense of Bicol region, said he already asked the Albay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to identify families living outside the extended danger zone.
“We have seen how congested some of the evacuation centers have become and based on our discussions with volcanologists, it is safe to send those
living outside the extended danger zone back to their homes,” said Yucot.
The ideal ratio of classroom to evacuees is one room per eight to 10 families but the current ratio is one classroom per 20 and even 30 families.
Yucot said their decision is based both on the reports of people going back to their homes and the complaints that they could not sleep well in the evacuation centers due to congestion.
"We immediately met with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and they told us that those living within the nine and 10 kilometers away from the crater are already safe," said Yucot.
Volcanologists have been explaining that based on the history of Mayon’s eruptions, the farthest drop of superhot pyroclastic flow is at seven kilometers away from the crater.
The additional one kilometer radius from the seven kilometer extended danger zone serves as a buffer or a precaution for a worse-case scenario of pyroclastic materials drop.
Bases on the OCD recommendation, trucks from the police, military and local government units will bring the evacuees back to their houses. Decamp plan Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal said that he will meet first with the barangay captains in the affected areas to discuss the OCD recommendation.
The meeting is aimed at explaining to the local officials and residents the reason why they are being sent back to their homes.
Rosal had earlier ordered the decamp of evacuees in Legazpi on January 18 but the residents had to be transported back to the evacuation centers after the January 22 eruption that prompted volcanologists to raise Alert Level 4.
"We will be implementing the decamp tomorrow (Saturday)," Rosal told the Manila Bulletin affecting mostly residents of Barangay Pawa and Barangay Padang.
"Residents of Barangays Matanag, Buyuan, Bonga and Mabinit will remain in the evacuation centers," said Rosal.
Sto. Domingo Mayor Herbie Aguas said that decamp will also be implemented in his town today.
Concerns Cedric Daep, head of the Albay Public Safety and Management Office, said they will not force the residents outside the eight-kilometer danger zone to go back.
"But they should anticipate the scenario that they may not avail themselves of some of the services there because they will be no longer considered as evacuees," said Daep.
But Daep assured economically displaced families living outside of the eight-kilometer danger zone that they will continue to receive relief goods and cash-for-work program.
Decongest
Yucot said that some of the evacuees in the congested evacuation centers will be moved to the schools that would be vacated.
"This is part of our recommendation to finally address the congestion problem," said Yucot.
But Yucot said that while decamp is being enforced, military and police vehicles will be on standby in case the need for quick evacuation arises.
Learning spaces
Meanwhile, Philippine Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon led the turnover of tents to be used as learning spaces at the PRC Multipurpose Hall and Logistics Center in Mandaluyong CityFriday.
The tents, donated by the Turkish Red Crescent Society (TRCS), will serve as temporary learning facilities for students of Albay whose education is compromised after Mayon Volcano's eruptions.
"Shortage of classrooms is now a problem in the province because most of the classrooms are being used as evacuation centers. We cannot deprive children of education. Learning must never stop amidst the looming disaster," Gordon said.
Five inflatable tents, which measure 56 square meters each and can accommodate up to 45 children per tent, will be put in place in various schools in the municipalities of Camalig, Malilipot, and Guinobatan. Gordon assured that the tents are well-ventilated.
Turkish Ambassador to the Philippines Esra Cankorur said that it is still Turkey's great hope that no more of these natural disasters should be experienced by the Philippines. (With a report from Carizza Ibañez)