MANILA (UCAN): Mayon, the Philippines’ most active volcano, began spewing ash and rocks on June 8, forcing thousands to flee their homes.
Schools and offices in Albay province, southern Luzon, were suspended after the volcano, known as the world’s perfect cone, erupted.
Residents were moved to classrooms and churches for refuge.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has kept its alert status at Level 3 CNN Philippines reported on June 13. The agency reported that 14,000 people had been displaced, one volcanic quake and 221 rockfall events had been recorded and one pyroclastic density current event on the day.
Provincial governor, Edcel Greco Lagman, said that the local government was set to put the province under a state of calamity. Apart from Camalig and Guinobatan, Legazpi, Tabaco, Ligao, Santo Domingo, Malilipot, Bacacay, and Daraga, were affected and that over 18,000 locals would be moved from their homes and into 115 identified evacuation centres.
“We heard a loud sound, everything turned dark and we saw ash everywhere,” said Glen Marquez, a taxi driver from Albay.
Marquez said he rushed to pick up his children from school but there was a stampede after residents were alerted about the closure of the school due to the eruption.
Another Albay resident, who was drying grain in Camalig town, said 30 sacks of rice were rendered useless as ash fell on them.
“I hope I can still remove the ash by sifting it. But still, this is an added work,” businessman, Leonardo Dela Cruz, lamented.
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Dela Cruz, a father of four, has been in the rice business for more than 10 years. He experiences ash and rocks on his grains at least once a year.
“This experience is not new to me and my family. We can’t do anything because selling rice is our livelihood. We need to deal with this… Mayon is our neighbour,” Cruz added.
“We will be wasting capital once again,” one Albay rice farmer, Joseph Pingoy, said.
The Diocese of Albay started mobilisation works by repacking rice and dried food items to be sent to evacuation centres.
“Safety is always our number one priority. They need to be safe from the eruption. After this, the second priority is their food. So, we are making sure that they will not grow hungry in these centres,” Bishop Joel Baylon of Albay said.
Romer Dio, Department of Science and Technology director, told reporters on June 8 that they “still experience forceful and voluminous steam and ash ejections”
The eruption may involve lava flow and a resultant rock fall, Dio said and added that local governments were closely coordinating to monitor the intensity of the lava flow.
“We need to watch out for rock falls. Rocks may be rolling from the top which makes them dangerous for residents to stay within the six-kilometre radius area,” Dio said.
Camalig, a town that falls within a six-kilometre radius of the volcano, cancelled its local festival with town mayor, Carlos Baldo, Jr., saying in a statement that he understands the importance of their Pinangat Festival, “but my main responsibility is to ensure the safety and welfare of my constituents.”
The immediate danger of lava flows is “deemed very troubling… allow us to prioritise you and your family’s safety first,” he added.
