TACLOBAN CITY– A local Catholic charity, along with various government agencies, rushed aid to Albay province after Mayon Volcano’s ashfall and pyroclastic flows affected more than 100,000 residents.
The Social Action Center of the Diocese of Legazpi activated its humanitarian response after Mount Mayon released a massive pyroclastic density current down its southwestern slopes last week.
The center issued a call for cash and in-kind donations to support displaced families.
“SAC Legazpi has issued an urgent Call for Donation to mobilize community support for displaced families in evacuation centers,” the center said in a situation report provided to Leyte Samar Daily Express.
“Donations may be given in cash or in kind,” it added.
Significant ashfall blanketed streets in several Albay towns, affecting motorists and residents in the volcano’s southwestern and southern sectors.
The Mayon Volcano Operational Activity Monitoring Report said 195,363 individuals, or 55,991 families, were affected by ashfall in 129 barangays across Oas, Guinobatan, Ligao City and Camalig as of May 3.
The center, led by Executive Director Father Eric Martillano, has also planned to distribute hot meals, food packs, hygiene kits and face masks to evacuees.
In-kind donations can be sent to the Social Action Center-Legazpi, Albay Cathedral Compound, Albay District, Legazpi City.
No evacuees were sheltered in parishes or churches within the diocese.
No deaths, injuries or missing persons were reported.
Local authorities barred residents from returning to the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone, warning that pyroclastic density currents can occur without warning.
The public was urged to wear N95 masks or damp cloths in ashfall areas and to prioritize the elderly, children and those with respiratory conditions.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distributed more than 4,000 family food packs to affected residents.
As of May 4, DSWD-Bicol Region reported humanitarian assistance for families affected by Mayon’s activity had reached P128 million.
Albay Gov. Noel Rosal advised Albay residents “to remain indoors, wear N95 face masks for outdoor activities, and stay alert.”
Local governments were directed to enforce the prohibition within the 6-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone.
Ashfall damaged crops, vegetation and livestock in villages around Mayon, the local arm of the Catholic charity said.
Farmers in Barangay Anoling, Camalig, reported significant agricultural losses as thick ash blanketed farmlands.
Livestock deaths were reported in some areas, according to the report.
“The disruption to agricultural production has raised concerns over local food supply and the long-term recovery of farmers’ livelihoods,” the center said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the national government is ready to help.
“The first concern, of course, is the health – health concerns. And we were able to bring out the people who were in the danger area,” Marcos told reporters in Manila.
Mayon, a 2,462-meter volcano known for its symmetrical cone, has had 30 recorded eruptions since 1616.
Its 1993 eruption killed at least 79 people, while a 2018 eruption forced thousands to evacuate.
(RONALD O. REYES)
