Guinobatan town begins to evacuate residents due to Mayon
The local government of Guinobatan, Albay started the preparations for the evacuation of thousands of residents living within the seven kilometers danger zone as volcanic activity of Mayon continued to increase Friday.
In a radio interview, Guinobatan Vice Mayor Anne Gemma Ongioco confirmed that the Albay Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) ordered on Thursday the evacuation of residents within the seven kilometers danger zone.
Ongioco said around 1,000 families or 5,000 individuals will have to be evacuated to the upland area of Guinobatan.
"Hopefully we will be able to finish (the evacuation today)," she said.
Ongioco said the evacuation centers for residents and their farm animals were prepared by the local government.
"We have evacuation centers in the upland and we are readying some schools for evacuation," she said.
Ongioco noted that the face-to-face classes in their town continue.
In another interview, Apple Arminia, administration officer of the operations division of Legazpi City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office also confirmed that their local government is monitoring the situation of the volcano as they prepare for the possible evacuation of some of their barangays covered by the eight kilometers danger zone.
"If the alert level reaches four or if the Phivolcs already give us advice to evacuate, then we will start the evacuation of the residents within the seven to eight kilometers danger zone," she said.
Arminia said they have 508 families that they need to evacuate in case the alert level for was declared by the Phivolcs.
Aside from the evacuation centers and food packs the local government of Legazpi is preparing to distribute N95 face masks following the ashfall monitored within their city.
Assistant Secretary Raffy Alejandro, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) spokesman said "along with its continuous coordination with the Phivolcs and other government agencies on the raising of Alert Level 3 status of Mayon Volcano and the low-level unrest of Taal Volcano, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has issued a memorandum to OCD Bicol Region and Calabarzon to heighten their monitoring and close coordination with local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils and support agencies to ensure the safety of the communities."
Civil Defense Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said they are now "coordinating with Phivolcs on the volcanic activities of Mayon and Taal as well as with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Health, and our counterparts in Bicol Region and Calabarzon for interventions that need to be implemented.”
“Mayon Volcano is now at Alert level 3. We call on the communities in the area to always follow the warnings and orders of authorities such as the evacuation inside the 6-km radius Permanent Danger Zone or PDZ. This is due to the danger of pyroclastic density currents, lava flows, rockfalls and other volcanic hazards in Mayon Volcano.” he added.
As of 8 am of Friday, the Mayon Volcano Network recorded six dome-collapse pyroclastic density currents (PDC) that lasted three to six minutes and 199 rockfall events based on seismic and visual observations in the past 24 hours.
"The PDC and rockfall events emplaced lava debris on the southern gullies within two kilometers from the summit crater. Thin light brown ash from the rockfalls and continuous moderate degassing from the summit crater produced steam-laden plumes that were bent and drifted to the general south," Phivolcs said.
"Fair crater glow or 'banaag' and incandescent rockfall shed from new fluidal lava at the summit of Mayon Volcano were also observed last night. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission was last measured at an average of 332 tonnes/day on 07 June 2023," it added.
It also mentioned that "short-term observations from EDM and electronic tiltmeter monitoring show the upper slopes to be inflating since February 2023" and "longer-term ground deformation parameters based on EDM, precise leveling, continuous GPS, and electronic tilt monitoring indicate that Mayon is still inflated, especially on the northwest and southeast."
Following the raising of Alert Level 3 of Mayon Volcano, Phivolcs also warned for "a relatively high level of unrest as magma is at the crater and hazardous eruption is possible within weeks or even days."
"It is therefore recommended that the 6-km radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) be evacuated due to the danger of PDCs, lava flows, rockfalls and other volcanic hazards. Increased vigilance against pyroclastic density currents, lahars and sediment-laden streamflows along channels draining the edifice is also advised," it stated.
Phivolcs also mentioned that "heavy rainfall could generate channel-confined lahars and sediment-laden streamflows in channels where PDC deposits were emplaced" while the civil aviation authorities were also advise to inform their pilots "to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ash from any sudden eruption can be hazardous to aircraft."
"Based on the current prevailing wind pattern, ash fall events may most likely occur on the south side of the volcano,'' it said. Robina Asido/DMS
