MANILA – The government is considering granting financial assistance to thousands of families affected by Mayon Volcano’s ongoing restiveness, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Tuesday.
In a Palace press briefing, Gatchalian said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), upon the instruction of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., is coordinating with the local government units in Albay province for the possible distribution of cash aid to families who have been displaced due to Mayon’s volcanic activity.
This, as Gatchalian acknowledged that food packs would not suffice the needs of those who were forced to leave their residences, given the risks posed by the possible hazardous eruption of Mayon Volcano.
“Nag-uusap na rin kami ng (We are talking to the) local government, upon the instruction of the President, na baka kailangan sustentuhan o ayudahan natin ng (to discuss the possibility of distributing) financial assistance,” Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian said he is in constant communication with Albay Gov. Edcel Greco Lagman, the affected LGUs, and the lawmakers from the province to determine the amount of money that would be given to each household.
“Alam naman natin ang pagpapatakbo ng (We all know that running the) evacuation centers [is the responsibility] of the local government units. But the DSWD, upon instruction of the President, will give them the necessary logistical support,” Gatchalian said.
As of June 12, some 9,338 families or 36,814 persons from 26 villages in Albay have been affected by Mayon Volcano’s unrest, according to the DSWD data.
For now, the evacuees would receive family food packs for the next 45 days, Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian also noted that the Office of Civil Defense had sent filtration machines to Albay to address the concern of potable water in the province.
He ensured that Marcos is “carefully and constantly” monitoring the situation and developments in Albay province to make sure that the affected families are getting the necessary assistance from the government.
“The President is monitoring the situation carefully. We’ve been in constant communication since last week, on a daily or hourly basis, about his directives on making sure that lahat ng mga na-evacuate ay may pagkain (all evacuees have food to eat),” he said.
Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Ted Herbosa, who also joined the press conference, said the department’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) team has been deployed to overcrowded evacuation areas.
“I will send another team, para ma-augment sila kagaya noong (to augment more personnel) alternating with waves. So, we need to send more health teams to the area and, sabi sa akin, mga 90 days pa daw. So, it looks like this (will be) a long-drawn-out activity,” he said.
Mayon’s restiveness started to escalate on June 8, prompting the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to place it under Alert Level 3.
The entire Albay province was also placed under a state of calamity. (PNA)