AFP, PNP trucks to transport Mayon evacuees

LEGAZPI CITY – Army and police vehicles are ready to transport to their homes evacuees residing within the eight-kilometer extended danger zone of Mayon Volcano.

Around 15,000 families or 55,261 individuals have been allowed to decamp after Mayon’s alert level was lowered on Tuesday. Those with vehicles returned to their homes on Tuesday afternoon.

“Local government units can request the Office of Civil Defense through the Albay provincial security and emergency management office (Apsemo) so we can send the vehicles,” Col. Patrick Cinco, head of the Task Force Sagip of the 9th Infantry Division, said yesterday.

Cinco said they have prepositioned vehicles in Guinobatan and Ligao.

Jun Pavericio, Guinobatan disaster risk reduction and management officer, said evacuees could go home today.

“We will provide them with food packs to sustain their needs since most of them can’t get inside the sixkilometer danger zone to tend to their crops,” Pavericio said.

He said evacuees hired under the the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s cash-for-work program would clean the evacuation sites and prepare them for the resumption of classes on Monday.

Highly abnormal

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Mayon remains “highly abnormal” even as it warned residents not to enter the six-kilometer permanent danger zone.

Phivolcs reminded the public of sudden explosions, lava collapses, pyroclastic density currents and ashfall.

The agency said those residing near danger zones are are also advised to observe precautions as loose volcanic materials on Mayon’s slopes could be mobilized.

Mayon’s activity in the past 24 hours was characterized by “brief periods of weak lava fountaining, gravity-driven lava flow and subsequent quiescence.”

At least 76 volcanic earthquakes and 13 rockfalls were recorded. Sulfur dioxide emission was at 4,459 tons yesterday.

Road map

Meanwhile, operators of all-terrain vehicles were asked to submit a road map or route of their activities before they could be allowed to resume operations.

“We want to make sure that they will not venture into the danger zones because Mayon is still under Alert Level 3,” Cedric Daep, Apsemo head, said.