Thousands to be sent home as Mayon cools

12 September 2006

LEGAZPI CITY—DISASTER OFficials expect thousands of evacuees to be sent back home and resume their livelihood in their villages “anytime this week” as Mayon continued to cool down.
Only six volcanic earthquakes were detected in the past 24-hour observation period, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported yesterday.

Mayon’s last small explosion was recorded on Sept. 2 while lava flow was reported to have decreased in volume last Aug. 28.

Mayon’s swelling grew smaller, indicating less magma coming up, Phivolcs added.

Cedric Daep, Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council executive officer, said even after the alert level status of Mayon had been lowered by the Phivolcs, villagers are still advised to keep off a 7-km extended danger zone.

Mayon spewed around 52 million cubic meters of hot lava, creating its longest lava trail in 30 years.

Volcanologists earlier warned of possible life-threatening pyroclastic flows that could be generated upon the collapse of these lava deposits.

“We have already informed (the evacuees) since two weeks ago of the hazards they may face as villagers residing near the foot of Mayon even after the alert level status has been lowered,” Daep said.

Alex Baloloy, science research analyst at Phivolcs-Bicol, said they had already sent data to the Phivolcs central office in Manila to determine if it was now safe for the villagers to return home.

Since alert level 4 was raised over Mayon for the past 33 days, more than 40,000 villagers have been evacuated from five municipalities and three cities in Albay.

Most of these villagers relied on farming, weaving, and livestock raising as their main sources of living.

The Provincial Agricultural Services reported last week that the eruption brought P1.1 million in damages to crops.

Livestock left behind in the villages suffered from severe malnutrition. Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon