Tankers sent to community after source of drinking water exposed to ash due to Bulusan eruption: NDRRMC
Water tankers have been sent to a community where a spring, its main source of drinking water, was exposed to ash as a result of Sunday's phreatic explosion at Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon, the spokesman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Tuesday.
Mark Timbal did not name the community at the ''Laging Handa'' public forum where its main sourcce of drinking water was exposed to ashfall but added that the private sector sent bottled water and the Philippine National Red Cross sent additional supplies.
He added authorities have begun cleaning areas of ash.
"The situation in Bulusan has become peaceful. I suppose that's the proper term and ashfall has already stopped so cleaning activities had already started with the help of the community and the uniformed services," Timbal said.
"We're just wanting to make sure that when the evacuees return home, they will not be exposed to the ash that still lingers in the air. They have been provided with face mask and other protective items to make sure that they will be protected from these irritants. Once the cleaning has been done and completed, I guess these families are good to go," he added.
Timbal said a total of 58 families or 216 individuals were evacuated because of Sunday's phreatic explosion which resulted in ashfall.
"With regard to our evacuated population, we have 58 families that had been tagged as evacuees from the municipality of Juban and that is equal to 216 persons and they have been receiving assistance coming from the local government units in terms of food packs, hygiene items, drinking water and other equipment needed for their stay in the evacuation centers," he said.
The regional social welfare department had provided additional 1,000 food packs to the municipality of Juban with additional water, bottled water coming from the private sector and masks from the office of civil defense, no casualties as of this day, added Timbal.
Timbal added that damages to crops are estimated at P 20 million.
"Hopefully it doesn't go up but with the updates later this afternoon, we'll check if there will be changes in the figures. The agriculture department had designated some evacuation sites for livestock because these are also exposed to ashfall dangers and I believe they have assistance programs for the local farmers whose crops had been affected by the ashfall," he said.
Timbal said despite recent volcanic activity, the local government of Sorsogon confirmed that the situation in the province "is manageable".
"So far we have not seen any damage to the houses, the ashfall was, did, fine covering of the ash in these houses but not enough to cause significant damage," he said.
"The local government unit is able to respond to these requirements, Gov. (Chiz) Escudero said that the situation is manageable by the LGU, what we're doing right now is to monitor and check if additional items are required but so far they are still able to handle it," he added.
Col. Xerxes Trinidad, Army Public Affairs chief, said following the phreatic eruption of Mt. Bulusan, the 505th Ready Reserve Infantry Battalion of the 505th Community Defense Center mobilized a platoon of reservists in the province. Robina Asido/DMS
