Light ashfall from Mayon hits Albay

VOLCANO WATCH This image taken from Camalig, Albay, shows a plume rising over Mt. Mayon on Wednesday as fast-moving mixture of hot gas, rocks and debris flows down the slopes of the volcano, sending light to moderate ashfall over parts of Albay province. —MHER VALENCIANO NOCILLADO/CONTRIBUTOR

LEGAZPI CITY—A new pyroclastic density current (PDC), locally known as “uson,” along the slopes of Mayon Volcano triggered light ashfall in several areas of Albay province on Wednesday, according to government volcanologists and local officials.

Gov. Noel Rosal said light to moderate ashfall affected Barangay Anoling in Camalig town, while light ashfall was reported in the villages of Cabagnan and Sua.

Camalig Mayor Carlos Irwin Baldo Jr. said ashfall was also reported in the villages of Anoling and Quirangay.

Light ashfall was also monitored in some villages in two villages of Daraga town and five villages in Legazpi City.

On May 2, a thick ashfall affected over 30,000 families across 87 villages in the towns of Camalig and Guinobatan, as well as Ligao City and nearby areas. Alert level 3 remains in effect over Mayon Volcano.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the collapse-fed PDC, or fast-moving flow of hot gas and volcanic debris, occurred at the Mi-isi Gully on the southwestern slope of Mayon Volcano at 11:22 a.m. on Wednesday.

Health precaution

The Provincial Health Office and the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office sent a supply of N95 face masks, cloth masks and protective goggles to the Legazpi City disaster risk reduction and management office so these can be distributed to affected villages.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bicol has also distributed thousands of protective goggles to local governments in Albay as Mayon Volcano’s unrest continues.

Jessar Adornado, officer in charge of OCD Bicol, said the distribution was intended to protect residents from ash inhalation and other hazards related to the volcano’s activity.

Adornado said 2,000 goggles each were distributed to the towns of Guinobatan and Camalig, and the cities of Ligao and Tabaco.

Another 5,000 goggles were turned over to the provincial government of Albay, while 2,000 each were also provided to the towns of Malilipot and Sto. Domingo.

The cities of Legazpi and Daraga, as well as the town of Bacacay, also received 2,000 goggles each, according to the OCD official.