Kailangan ng space: Mayor Rosal orders decongestion of evacuation centers

The city mayor here on Wednesday directed to decongest all the city’s evacuation centers occupied by residents covered by the 6-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) and the extended 2-km danger zone in the city’s northern villages at the foot of Mt. Mayon.

Mayor Noel E. Rosal tasked the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) and the City Risk Reduction and Management Office (CRRMO) to maintain cleanliness in the evacuation centers to prevent spread of diseases.

Fifteen (15) families currently occupy one room at the evacuation centers but Rosal wants it reduced to eight families.

The mayor also asked the CSWDO to make sure all the evacuees are given relief goods including clean drinking water.

The Philippine Red Cross has earlier pledged to give sufficient potable water to the families affected by the Mayon volcanic activity.

Rosal also urged the city health office (CHO) to put up a medical station including an ambulance in each of the evacuation centers for the medical needs of the people.

The mayor ordered a preemptive evacuation on Monday evening of the residents of five barangays numbering to 2,686 families or 12,957 people.

He also suspended all agricultural and other farming activities as well as golf games, ATV (all terrain vehicle) riding and mountain climbing inside the danger zone.

The evacuees from Barangay Mabinit have occupied 16 classrooms of the Bogtong Elementary School while the people from Buyoan have occupied 38 classrooms of the Bagumbayan Central School.

The affected families from Barangay Bonga have occupied 26 classrooms of the Gogon Central School and 14 classrooms at the Gogon High School while the residents of Barangay Padang have occupied the Albay Central School.

But Rosal said that the evacuees from Barangay Mabinit would be transferred to Bitano Elementary School while the affected families from Barangay Padang would be transferred to Buraguis evacuation center to make them more comfortable.

Presently, Mayon Volcano is still under alert level 3, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

Meanwhile, Smart Communications Inc. is providing free calling and charging services to the affected villagers in Albay.

The “Libreng Tawag” services and “Libreng Charging” stations were at the Lower Binogsacan Elementary School in Guinobatan and Cabangan Elementary School in Camalig, said Ramon Isberto, head of the Smart Public Affairs department. (PNA)