Albay execs bracing for worst-case scenario

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – Officials in the province of Albay are still bracing for a worst case scenario despite the lull in the abnormal activities of Mayon Volcano in the past three days.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda told The STAR that provincial officials cannot be complacent in the ongoing preparations for a full-blown eruption despite the decrease in the number of volcanic earthquakes and rockfall events since Thursday.

Only four volcanic earthquakes and eight rockfall events were recorded by the Lignon Observatory here in the past 24 hours, according to the latest bulletin of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Mayon’s status remained at Alert Level 3 yesterday.

However, Phivolcs-Bicol chief volcanologist Ed Laguerta said that since the collapsed crater wall facing Legazpi City is almost completely patched up, lava could now flow down to any direction, endangering all cities and towns around the volcano.

“It’s now to whom it may concern,” said Salceda.

“We cannot take chances that might compromise the safety of our residents. No way. The preparations would continue until, at least, the three-month long wait is over,” he added.

He also said that changes in the contingency plans would only be made should Phivolcs make the recommendation depending on the behavior of Mayon.

“In fact, we already declared Albay as an open city, so that help would pour in without much bureaucratic hindrances,” Salceda added.

Cedric Daep, chief of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office, said that the agency is preparing to provide the needs of the evacuees that might reach 11,000 families should Alert Level 4 be declared by Phivolcs.

“We had this many evacuees during the 2009 eruption episode of Mayon. We will brace for it again,” Daep told The STAR.

Except for the 1993 sudden explosion of Mayon that caught Albay by surprise and killed at least 77 farmers at the upper slope of the volcano, no fatality was recorded in the eruptions in 2000, 2006 and 2009.

But on May 7, 2013, at least five mountain climbers and a Filipino tour guide were killed when Mayon had a sudden phreatic explosion. The volcano did not show abnormal precursors.  – With Celso Amo