Albay needs 1404 M for Mayon’s evacuees

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay — Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Secretary Francis N. Tolentino disclosed yesterday that Albay is in need of at least 1404 million to fund the prolonged stay of residents displaced by the eruption of Mayon in evacuation centers.

Tolentino, who is the Mayon crisis manager, said that the total projection that the government will spend for 100 days is 1404 million, and as of today, only 1105 million has been turned over by the national government to the provincial government of Albay.

According to Tolentino, based from his formula to lessen the burden of the national government, another 1/3 will be shouldered by the local government units (LGUs).

“Yung balance naman will be shouldered by private benefactors, donors and the national government,” he said.

While those 4th class municipalities, only 1/4 of the projected cost will be charged to them.

Still rumbling The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said a total of 76 volcanic earthquakes, most of which corresponded to lava fountaining events were recorded by Mayon’s seismic monitoring network.

State volcanologists said that there were sporadic and weak lava fountaining, lava flow and degassing from the summit crater of Mayon in the past 24 hours.

Although the upper slopes were heavily obscured, Phivolcs said the seismic record indicated discrete episodes of lava fountaining that lasted three to 55 minutes.

Throughout the night, lava flows and consequent incandescent rockfalls were observed in the Miisi and BongaBuyuan channels. (With a report from Chito A. Chavez)