DSWD readies P132-M relief aid, goes on full alert amid Mayon unrest

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is now on full alert amid Mayon Volcano’s ongoing unrest as it assured that its Field Office (FO) 5 – Bicol Region has sufficient stockpiles of relief items and standby funds for relief operations.

In a statement, DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG) said their regional office in Bicol is closely monitoring the situation at Mayon Volcano, which has been placed under Alert Level 3.

Dumlao said P132.59 million in stockpiles and standby funds are ready at the DSWD FO 5 to sustain relief operations for affected families.

The field office has 111,164 boxes of family food packs (FFPs), 16,580 ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes, and 15,746 non-food items (NFIs).

“Patuloy po na mino-monitor ng ating mga Quick Response Teams at mga Social Welfare and Development Officers ang sitwasyon ng Mayon Volcano sa Albay in coordination sa ating mga national disaster agencies. Nag-deploy na rin tayo ng mga DRMG staff sa potentially affected populations within the six-kilometer danger zone ng bulkan para umagapay sa ating designated evacuation centers,” Dumlao said.

(We are continuously monitoring our Quick Response Teams and our Social Welfare and Development Officers for the situation of the Mayon Volcano in Albay in coordination with our national disaster agencies. We also deployed DRMG staff to potentially affected populations within the six-kilometer danger zone of the volcano so that they could assist in our designated evacuation centers.)

The DSWD’s FO-Bicol Region has prepositioned relief supplies and logistics in 23 warehouses across the region, apart from the continuous replenishment of food and non-food items (FNFIs) stored in facilities of local government units (LGUs).

On Tuesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) placed Mayon Volcano under Alert Level 3 due to the occurrence of pyroclastic density currents (PDC) or “uson.”

Alert Level 3 means there is an “increased tendency towards a hazardous eruption.” 

On January 1, Alert Level 2 was hoisted over the volcano due to escalating rockfall activity and edifice inflation, signaling a potential magmatic eruption.

The DSWD said it is preparing for a possible ashfall which is most likely to affect the southern side of the volcano based on the prevailing wind pattern in the Bicol Region.

“As per the data ng ating Field Office sa Bicol, 122 families or 601 persons mula sa Guinobatan, Camalig at iba pang barangay sa Albay ang apektado ng bulkang Mayon. Ongoing na rin ang pagpapalikas sa mga residenteng nakatira within the six-kilometer danger zone,” Dumlao said.

(As per the data of our Field Office in Bicol, 122 families or 601 persons from Guinobatan, Camalig, and other barangays in Albay are affected by Mayon Volcano. The preemptive evacuation of residents within the six-kilometer danger zone is also ongoing.)

Social protection assets, including mobile kitchens, a mobile command center, and a mobile water system are also on standby and ready for deployment.

“Under the strict directive of Secretary Rex Gatchalian, the DSWD Field Office 5 is continuously coordinating with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, and local government units to ensure the safety of the residents,” she added. — JMA, GMA Integrated News