Over 300,000 food, non-food items pre-positioned amid Mayon ashfall - DSWD

More than 300,000 food and non-food items have been prepositioned in the Bicol Region following the ashfall brought by Mayon Volcano, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said. 

As of 6 a.m. of Sunday, May 3, the DSWD has prepared the following items for the affected residents: 

• 301,311 family food packs 
• 27,322 ready-to-eat food boxes 
• 15,156 non-food items

Further, the DSWD-Region 5 has released P11,304,150 emergency cash transfer and P28,305,450 for cash-for-work (CFW) program. 

The CFW was distributed to over 2,169 farmers affected by Mayon’s unrest, the department said. 

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said that over 30,000 families were affected by Mayon’s activity. 

“As of now, we have more than 30,500 families ang affected. More than 1,400 of that ay nasa mga ECs (evacuation centers) natin,” said OCD deputy spokesperson Diego Mariano. 

The OCD added that water filtration trucks will be deployed and N95 masks are also being distributed to affected individuals. 

Meanwhile, Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento has instructed the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPPARU) to coordinate with the DSWD and local government units to ensure that former rebels in the area are aided amid the volcano’s unrest. 

“Our objective is clear: we must be seen and felt as an institution that truly empathizes and genuinely cares. Not only for former combatants, but for the communities that once stood behind them. We will not be distant, and we will not be indifferent. By actively reaching out and checking on them, we send a strong and unmistakable message: they are not forgotten, they matter, and they will continue to matter to us,” said Sarmiento in a statement. 

On Saturday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology  (PHIVOLCS) said it noticed signs of intensified and magmatic unrest, with lava flows and volcanic earthquakes.

Alert Level 3 remains enforced after the increased volcanic activity caused ashfall over some areas in Albay province over the weekend. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA News