Worst is over at Mayon

The worst is finally over for thousands of evacuees here after volcanologists lowered Saturday morning the alert level it hoisted over the Mayon Volcano, signaling a massive exodus of 47,000 displaced persons back to their homes.

Resident volcanologist Ed Laguerta said they decided to downgrade the alert from Level 4 that the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) had raised on December 14 to Level 3, citing the downtrend of volcanic activities.

"We have been monitoring a continuous downtrend of volcanic activities. That means the threat is no longer imminent compared before so it is safe for most of the evacuees to go home," said Laguerta in an interview.

In justifying lowering of the alert level, Laguerta cited the following reasons:

1. No ash ejections were observed since December 29. Steam emission was most of the time weak and white in color indicating considerable decrease in energy and absence of ash;

2. Majority of type of the earthquakes that were recorded during the past days were associated with rockfalls and rolling down of fragments from the lava deposits along Bonga Gully (part of Legazpi City) and the advancing lava front; and,

3. Measured SO2 (Sulfur Dioxide) levels have also showed a decreasing trend from a maximum of 8,993 tons per day to 2,621 tons per day. The still high concentration of SO2 gas emission only suggests that there is a residual magma degassing at shallow depth.

"In view thereof, Phivolcs-DoST (Department of Science and Technology) is lowering the alert status of Mayon Volcano from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3. Alert Level 3 means that there is less possibility of a hazardous explosive eruption," a bulletin issued by Phivolcs read.

But Laguerta stressed that the downgrading of alert level does not mean that Mayon activities have already died down, saying resurgence of activities is still a possibility similar to what happened during the 1984 and 2001 eruptions.

He, however, admitted that the possibility of a hazardous explosion is a little remote at this point, what with the huge tons and volumes of volcanic materials already emitted by the volcano.

"And if there is still a noticeable downtrend in the monitored parameters, then the alert will be further lowered to Alert Level 2," said Laguerta.

In a separate interview, Phivolcs spokesperson July Sabit said Mayon's volcanic activities actually peaked from December 24 to 26 wherein residents here treated to a spectacular lava flow and fountain-like show.

Since then, the activities start to die down and a downtrend was further monitored since December 29.

Decampment begins

As soon as Phivolcs issued the bulletin at 9 a.m. Saturday, Albay Governor Joey Salceda immediately ordered a decampment of some 47,000 displaced residents staying in 32 evacuation centers, all of them living within the six to eight kilometers extended danger zones.

In his directive, Salceda instructed all the mayors of three cities and five municipalities affected to start the decampment of their respective constituents from evacuation centers back to their home.

For his part, Colonel Marlou Salazar, commander of the 901st Brigade, said he had already ordered his men to position all their trucks and vehicles in evacuation centers that will be used in the transport of the evacuees.

"The decampment will begin in the soonest possible today. We will use the same vehicles which we used in evacuating them," said Salazar in an interview after meeting with local disaster officials.

But Salceda said the presence of soldiers within the six-kilometer danger zone in the north side of Mayon volcano and seven kilometer danger zone within the southeast side will remain.

"They will just move the checkpoint areas to those areas which are still considered as dangerous in order to prevent farmers from moving around," said Salceda, citing the warning from Phivolcs.

"The risk there is gas fumes and rock falls, so there should be no human activities there," he added, referring to the six-kilometer danger zone in the north side (covering some barangays of Tabaco City and Malilipot town) and seven-kilometer danger zone in the southeast side (covering Legazpi City, Daraga, Camalig, and Sto. Domingo).

Asked of the possibility of resurgence of Mayon activities, Salceda said they have already proven that they could move the evacuees in a short period of time.

But noting that the 10,032 head of the families lost their jobs due to the forced evacuation before, Salceda said they will distribute food packs to those who would go home that would last for three days.
The food packs consist of 35 kilos of rice and other basic needs for each of the family.

This is on top of the cash-for-work program that will be launched as soon as the evacuees go home, the policy is that each of the family will be given P1,400 in exchange for the repairs of their homes.

"We have a standing fund of P14 million for the cash-for-work program," said Salceda, adding that the money came from President Arroyo.

The cash-for-work program was originally intended to the repair of schools but with the sudden decrease of Mayon activities, the program was shifted to the repair of their homes.

600 families to stay

Albay Provincial Disaster and Coordinating Council chief Cedric Daep said the decampment does not include some 600 families living in the danger zone in the area of Barangay Banadero in Daraga town and Upper Padang in Legazpi City.

"Those areas are still considered as dangerous, they have to remain in the evacuation enter until further notice from Phivolcs," said Daep.
But Daep said the remaining evacuees will not affect the resumption of classes on January 4, saying most of them are staying in a resettlement area while others who are staying in school will be moved out of the classrooms.

For his part, Salceda said the decampment, which began Saturday morning, would mean that they will no longer asked the Department of Education (DepEd) to postpone the resumption of classes.

"The DepEd is ordered to resume classes on January 4 as scheduled and ensure that facilities for the resumption will be in order," said Salceda.

The Bureau of Fire Protection, on the other hand, was ordered to lead the clean-up of all schools which will be vacated by the evacuees in order to prepare them for the opening of classes.

Salceda, however, assured that the distribution of relief items for the remaining 600 families will continue.

"We can sustain it (relief items) with our regular social program," said Salceda.