By Priam Nepomuceno
MANILA – The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Tuesday that families affected by Mayon Volcano’s sudden spewing of heavy ashfall last May 2 has reached 55,590.
In a message to reporters, OCD deputy spokesperson Diego Mariano said the families are equivalent to 199,367 persons residing in 124 barangays in the region.
“Of these, 1,444 families or 5,459 persons are currently inside evacuation centers, while 26 families or 85 persons remain being assisted outside evacuation centers,” he added.
Mariano said they will be providing more details if there are “significant or additional effects due to the reported activity (of the volcano).”
Earlier, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced that it has distributed over PHP117 million in humanitarian assistance to families affected by the Mayon Volcano unrest.
As of Sunday, the DSWD Disaster Response Operations Information Communication reported that the DSWD has already provided 71,153 family food packs (FFPs), 7,634 non-food items, and 1,402 ready-to-eat food to the affected families.
The DSWD disbursed over PHP45 million in cash aid to 3,487 farmers and IDPs whose livelihoods were temporarily halted due to the pyroclastic activity of Mayon.
Mayon Volcano, one of the country’s most active volcanoes, is known for its near-perfect cone shape but has a history of sudden eruptions that can trigger ashfall, lava flows and dangerous mudflows. It spewed heavy ashfall late Saturday afternoon, blanketing nearby communities with ash. (PNA)
