Albay veterinarians evacuate animals from Mayon danger zone

Provincial veterinarians of Albay on Saturday started evacuating domesticated animals from the six-kilometer permanent danger zone around restive Mayon Volcano.

The evacuation of the animals aims to prevent residents from returning to the danger zone, radio dzBB's Allan Gatus reported.

Albay's provincial authorities had evacuated families up to 8 km away from the volcano, after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised Mayon's alert level to "3."

Last Tuesday, the Albay provincial government said it is planning to evacuate some 35,000 animals from danger zones around Mayon.

Provincial governor Jose Salceda said they will spend P3 per head - or some P105,897 - a day for these animals, just so residents won't have a reason to sneak back to their homes.

"(W)e have to budget P3 per head per day for their evacuation so families will have no alibi to go home or not to cooperate with the evacuation," Salceda said on his Facebook account.

A breakdown of the animals to be evacuated includes:

The animals are located in the 40 barangays in the 6-km permanent danger zone around the volcano.

On Tuesday, the entire Albay province was declared under a state of calamity amid the threat of an eruption by Mayon.

On Saturday, Phivolcs said Mayon's seismic network recorded four volcanic earthquakes and 22 rockfall events during the past 24 hours.  — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News