More Mayon evacuees receive cash aid

MANILA, Philippines — More families displaced by Mayon Volcano’s unrest have received cash assistance from the government.

In a report to Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian, DSWD-Bicol director Norman Laurio said 5,770 families affected by Mayon’s restiveness have benefited from the emergency cash transfer (ECT) program.

They are residents of Tabaco City and the towns of Ligao, Guinobatan, Daraga, Camalig, Sto. Domingo and Malilipot, who remain in evacuation centers.

“Each Mayon-affected family will receive P12,330 as financial aid under the DSWD’s ECT program,” Gatchalian said.

The cash aid distribution, which started on Friday, is until today.

Last month, more than 3,000 families affected by Mayon’s unrest each received P5,000 in cash aid under the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation.

The DSWD regional office said P16 million was released during the payout.

Lahar warning still up

Meanwhile, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reiterated its call for residents to be on alert for lahar flow amid continuous rains affecting Albay.

Heavy rain may generate channel-confined lahars and sediment-laden streamflows in channels surrounding the volcano, Phivolcs said in an advisory issued yesterday.

“Increased vigilance against pyroclastic density currents, lahar and sediment-laden streamflows along channels draining the edifice is advised,” it said.

Mayon remained restive, with 362 rockfall events and 39 volcanic quakes aside from five dome-collapse pyroclastic density currents recorded in the past 24 hours.

Sulfur dioxide emissions increased to 2,132 tons per day on Friday compared to 1,582 tons on Thursday.