By Rey M. Nasol, Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon, and Alcuin Papa in Manila
Philippine Daily Inquirer
INQUIRER.net
LEGAZPI CITY--In the shadow of a rumbling volcano, they shared a noche buena (midnight repast) of donated noodles, fish and fruits, opened presents and laughed at clowns.
Even in times of adversity, many among the 47,000 villagers who have sought shelter in evacuation camps to flee the wrath of Mayon Volcano in Albay province tried to keep the Christmas spirit alive.
But fear of the deadly mountain is never far away. Its booming sounds could be heard even in this city, 15 kilometers away.
Five days after raising to 4 the alert level around Mayon and declaring that a hazardous eruption was imminent, volcanologists yesterday warned that Mayon was erupting with more force—hurling lava higher into the sky—and that the danger of a big blast was not over.
“The flow of lava is continuing. The tremors are continuing. So the notion that a big bang is no longer going to happen doesn’t hold. It’s clear the activity has been sustained with more force,” Director Renato Solidum of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) told the Inquirer.
Christmas is for children
Solidum said the relatively lower number of earthquakes coming from the volcano the past few days should not be misconstrued as a waning of its fury.
But children in the evacuation camps seemed oblivious of the dangers and didn’t seem to mind that their world had become smaller.
If the 21 children in Room 29 at Albay Central School sounded excited on Christmas Eve, it was because they were celebrating a bigger noche buena than they were used to.
While their parents were preparing for a potluck feast, the children cavorted around as any other kids would do during holidays.
Ten-year-old Erah Mae Abellana of Barangay Matanag said she was happy even if their family had to spend Christmas away from their home.
“I am happy because we have many playmates here and we also received food rations,” Erah said in Bicol.
She said the only thing she and her friends had not been able to do was sing carols in their neighborhood.
Thankful they are safe
Mother-of-two Cris Arquero, 28, was busy cooking spaghetti on a charcoal stove. Hours earlier, a politician had come visiting and given away noche buena packages.
“Just a little get-together meal for us this Christmas,” Arquero said.
Other mothers planned games for children.
Arquero said that although this Christmas was unusual for them, it was not a reason to be unhappy.
“We could only be thankful that we are safe. What is important is that we still could all be together,” she said.
She added the calamity had also given her a chance to teach good values to her 5-year-old daughter.
“Here, she learns how to live harmoniously with other people. She also learns the value of sharing our blessings, no matter how little we have,” Arquero said.
Santas and clowns
Milagros Aydalla, 48, was glad she had something for noche buena, although it was “not as happy as our Christmas last year.”
On Thursday night, Masses were celebrated in the centers. Evacuees received gifts or were entertained by soldiers in Santa hats who belted out songs.
Still the mood at times was subdued, with many evacuees opting to sleep before midnight.
“We have to give them Christmas Eve midnight meal so at least while in the evacuation center, they can also feel the Christmas celebration,” said Legazpi Mayor Noel Rosal.
Gov. Joey Salceda distributed P100 bills to children to be spent any way they wanted.
‘They are stubborn’
The celebration continued Friday, with a clown’s magic tricks and parlor games bringing laughter to the children in one elementary school that has been turned into a temporary shelter.
Still, despite the dangers posed by Mayon, many families chose to stay in their homes near the volcano, spending their Christmas Eve in areas that had already been declared a no man’s land.
In a neighborhood in Barangay Matanag, children played in the streets while a karaoke machine rocked with music. A baby on a crib was on a doorstep while sari-sari stores were in business as usual.
Soldiers said they had never stopped warning villagers to flee.
“But they are stubborn. They would tell us they knew the volcano better than us,” Army Pfc. Rennel Madla said.
Higher lava fountains
Mayon’s explosions continued yesterday, showing “more force in terms of lava fountaining,” Solidum said.
The fountains of lava, which had risen as high as 500 meters above the summit before, yesterday soared to a height of one kilometer, he said.
Ash explosions got stronger, too, reaching a maximum height of two kilometers.
Solidum said rock falls were also occurring. Rock falls are caused by the detachment of lava fragments from the summit and the upper slopes of the volcano.
These rock falls can generate dangerous pyroclastic flows, or flows of volcanic ash, dust, rocks and debris that rush down the slopes at speeds of 100 km per hour, with temperatures of up to 420 degrees Celsius, Solidum said.
Health risks
Solidum also warned against health hazards from ashfall on the southwest side of the volcano. He said the white ash blown into residential areas could cause respiratory ailments.
Sulfur dioxide emission rate was still high at 2,738 tons per day.
Active river channels and those identified as lahar prone in the southern sector should be avoided, especially when there is prolonged rainfall, Phivolcs said.
Dangerous lull
Solidum told reporters that Mayon’s sustained high level unrest had eliminated the possibility of a series of quiet eruptions such those that occurred in 2006, which were largely harmless to residents.
“Rumbling and booming sounds are now audible even as far as the city proper of Legazpi, which is 15 kilometers away from the crater,” Solidum said.
Resident volcanologist Eduardo Laguerta said the volume of lava deposits on the slopes had exceeded the Phivolcs estimate of 20 million cubic meters.
He recalled that Mayon showed similar activities prior to its violent eruption in 1984, which was preceded by a four-day lull.
At the time, people thought the volcano had quieted down, only for them to be awakened and sent scampering by a big blast at dawn.
At least 125 rumbling and booming sounds from the volcano were heard at the Lignon Hill Observatory and in Legazpi during a 24-hour monitoring period ending yesterday, Phivolcs said.
Seismic activity remained high, with instruments recording a total of 871 volcanic earthquakes.
Forced evacuation
Forcible evacuation continued in villages within the danger zones. Soldiers sealed entry points, allowing only the exit of people.
Salceda supervised the distribution of cash gifts (P100 per child) in all evacuation centers.
“Instead of giving the children things (in kind) it is wiser to give them the equivalent so that they have money in their pockets which they may use to buy their gift of choice, be it food or toys,” he said.
With reports from AP and AFP
No comments:
Post a Comment