Mayon evacuees deal with problems in shelters
TABACO CITY—More residents in Albay province were uprooted from their communities within the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ) after authorities raised Mt. Mayon’s alert to level 3 (high level of volcanic unrest) on Tuesday.
In the town of Malilipot, evacuees cited gaps in facilities and the lack of order in some evacuation centers.
Wena Gaña of Calbayog village said her family immediately complied when disaster response officials informed them of the volcano’s unrest but found no space available when they reached San Jose National High School, their designated evacuation center.
She said the lack of assigned areas and assistance caused confusion among evacuees.
“It seems the evacuation is not organized. We don’t know where to settle, and there are no personnel assisting us,” Gaña said.
Inconvenience
Another evacuee echoed the same concern, saying the situation was more stressful as she had young grandchildren to care for.
Malilipot Mayor Cenon Volante acknowledged the inconvenience at the temporary shelters, saying the local government is coordinating with the Department of Education to accommodate 381 families (1,434 people).
“We have coordinated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which assured us of the delivery of modular tents so we can establish a tent city,” Volante said.
In Tabaco City, evacuees at Buang village also had to endure the cold in covered courts where modular tents were set up.
Maricel Bondad, 36, said she was concerned about the health of her children and elderly parents due to the lack of rubber mats. “We hope the authorities can provide rubber mats so we won’t catch coughs and colds,” Bondad said.
She said evacuees were also experiencing sanitation problems, including clogged toilets.
Buang village councilor Meryl Dioquino said the city government had been informed of the situation and that requests had been made for additional portalets and tarpaulin sheets to shield them from the rain.
Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, Office of Civil Defense deputy administrator for administration, said authorities were prioritizing the needs of evacuees and ensuring the sustainability of evacuation center operations, particularly food supply, kitchen facilities and living spaces. INQ
But Alejandro asked people to stay out of the danger zone. For this, he ordered the police and other government line agencies to strictly enforce the no-entry policy within the PDZ to achieve the government’s zero-casualty goal.
“The behavior of Mayon is unpredictable. If people stay out of the danger zones, everyone will be safe. We ask for cooperation,” Alejandro said.
Acting Philippine National Police chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered their Albay personnel to be visible as Mayon’s volcanic activity had increased.
“Checkpoints will be conducted in key entry points of danger zones, while police visibility will be intensified in various areas in Albay,” Nartatez said in a statement on Wednesday. —WITH A REPORT FROM JASON SIGALES
