Major Mayon eruption imminent

Authorities raised alert level four over the restive Mt. Mayon in Albay yesterday and forcibly evacuated some 34,000 residents living in villages within the eight-kilometer danger zone.

In a press conference at the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo, officials said they raised the alert level from three to four because an explosive eruption appeared imminent within the next few days. Level five represents an ongoing eruption.

At Malacañang, officials sought to allay concerns over the government’s readiness to deal with a major eruption, saying concerned authorities are on alert and there are enough funds to support evacuation efforts.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. has already released an additional P250 million in calamity funds to augment the dwindling P76 million earlier disbursed upon President Arroyo’s orders.

Mrs. Arroyo, Ermita said, also ordered all concerned government agencies, particularly the military and police force, to be on full alert in the event of a major eruption.

"So we are very sure that we’ll be able to cope with the situation to be brought about by the possible eruption of Mayon volcano," he said.

Ermita added that if there is any natural calamity the government is most prepared for, it is the eruption of Mt. Mayon due to early warning devices and previous experiences in dealing with eruptions.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the NDCC has counterparts at the provincial and municipal levels.

"Because we have experiences in different volcanic eruptions and other calamities, the government’s resources are always ready to deal with these kinds of events so we are prepared for any eventuality," he said.

Dr. Ernesto Corpuz, chief of the volcano monitoring and eruption prediction division of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said they have recommended that residents in certain areas around Mayon volcano be evacuated, particularly those living within eight kilometers from the southeast slope of the volcano and up to seven kilometers for the rest of the area.

Officials extended the danger zone to eight kilometers on the volcano’s southern side, from seven kilometers earlier.

It began abnormal activity in February and started emitting small lava flows on July 15.

Mayon has had 47 eruptions in recorded history, the latest being a mild outpouring of lava in June 2001. It buried the town of Cagsawa in the 19th century, killing an estimated 1,200 people. A 1993 eruption killed 79 people.

Mayon’s environs were rocked early Monday by six successive volcanic blasts, followed by a fountain of lava from its crater.

"This signifies that Mayon is almost ready to burst," Corpuz said.

The sudden phreatic explosion was preceded by a gradual drop in the emission of sulfur gas for the past seven days, indicating the intrusion of viscous magma that constricted the volcano’s vent and built up pressure inside.

Phivolcs resident volcanologist Ed Laguerta said that after sudden ash-driven explosion, the sulfur gas emission rate shot up to 12,745 tons from 1,919 Sunday.

By mid-morning, the peak was covered in a dark cloud of volcanic material rising several kilometers above the crater. Television footage showed superheated lava tumbling down the slopes, setting vegetation on fire.

"So from the initial alert level three issued on July 14 to the alert level four as of August, we are now thinking that perhaps we are now ready to undertake an overall evacuation in accordance with the plans of the national, regional and provincial disaster offices," Corpuz said.

He added that scientists monitoring Mayon’s activity since the start of this year understand "that Mayon is on the upswing. If a major hazardous eruption does occur either today or in the coming days, we will be recommending the appropriate extension of this danger zone possibly up to 10 kilometers."

He assured the public that all of the precautions have been laid out for this particular stage of Mayon’s unrest until it reaches the fifth and highest level.

Last week, the government deployed troops to keep sightseers away from the edge of advancing lava. Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum Jr. earlier said the danger could come from the collapse of the lava dome or a sudden explosive eruption that could send pyroclastic flows — clouds of superheated gas and ash — racing down the volcano’s slopes.

Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz said Albay Gov. Fernando Gonzales told him that as of yesterday morning, 7,000 families have been evacuated to 34 temporary shelters in the province.

"The evacuation is going smoothly because they had pre-positioned 80 vehicles to do the evacuation and Brig. Gen. Arsenio Arugay of Task Force Mayon has been augmenting his personnel there. Two more platoons have joined and they are helping in the evacuation and it’s going smoothly," Cruz said.

The affected barangays within the eight-kilometer extended danger zone were identified by the NDCC as Anoling and downstream areas including Tinuburan Sua, Upper Quirangay, Salugan and Upper Cabangan in Camalig town and Barangays Miisi and areas to its south including Budiao, Matnog and Bañadero of Daraga town and Mabinit, Bonga, Matanag and Buyuan of Legazpi City.

"More than 50,000 people will be expected to be evacuated," said Jukes Nuñez, a provincial disaster officer in Albay province. They include people who have ventured back inside the danger zone to tend crops in the fertile volcanic soil.

Army trucks and other government vehicles have been deployed to ferry residents to at least 30 evacuation centers, Nuñez added.

Gerry Losentales, a poor 87-year-old farmer, has refused to leave his hut near his small vegetable farm even after the land was partly seared by lava flows a few days ago. He was among dozens of residents ordered to evacuate Monday from Mabinit village below the volcano.

"I survive by tending that farm and I have lived here all my life," a teary-eyed Losentales said as soldiers helped him board an Army truck loaded with villagers to be brought to a temporary school shelter. "I hope the government can help me now."

Cruz said about 32 to 34 evacuation centers will accommodate the evacuees. Their supplies of food, water and medicines are good for seven to 10 days.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as well as the Department of Health (DOH), are on standby with their own stockpile or relief goods and medicines to augment the supplies in evacuation centers.

According to Cruz, the President approved last week P250 million as additional calamity fund to respond to Mayon’s inevitable eruption.

"We have been replenished an additional P250 million so we have enough funds to cover the food, water, medicine and other requirements of this evacuation and tending to the people in the evacuation centers for the next several weeks or months," he said.

Cruz said the DSWD has also been instructed several weeks ago to preposition stockpiles in this area to augment whatever is needed by the provincial disaster coordinating council. The DOH has a standby team of doctors in the area.

In Legazpi City, Mayor Noel Rosal personally supervised the evacuation of 10,500 residents — some of whom are reluctant to leave — from four villages on Mayon’s lower slopes.

He said the mild lava eruption last month "gave us ample lead time to prepare the evacuation centers" — mostly schools and other government buildings beyond the volcano’s danger zone.

Education officials have been instructed to prepare 70 to 80 tents for use of the schoolchildren.

Department of Education Secretary Jesli Lapus told education officials in Albay to be vigilant and coordinate with the DepEd central office regarding the situation in their area.

"Our primary concern is the safety of our students and our teachers," Lapus said. "But we are also checking on the condition of our school buildings, especially those that are being used as evacuation centers."

Schools in the affected municipalities of Daraga, Camalig, Gimbatan, Sto. Domingo, Malilipot, Ligaw and Tabaco have been evacuated, while some schools outside of the danger zone have been converted into evacuation centers for affected residents.

Lapus said special modules were created so students in evacuation centers can continue their lessons even as regular classes have been suspended due to the imminent eruption. — With Paolo Romero, Cet Dematera, Sandy Araneta, Mayen Jaymalin, Celso Amo, AFP, AP