Inside the danger zone of Mayon Volcano

By EPHRAIM AGUILAR, GMA NewsOctober 9, 2014 3:38pm

That fiery red lava trickling down the slopes of Mayon Volcano is a paradox.

 

Like a fireworks display, it keeps Albay villagers awake in the middle of the night. Some would even take a break from their favorite evening teleserye just to watch the volcano simmer.

 

For us locals, it is such a delight to behold—enchanting and mysterious. Yet at the same time. we know that behind the peerless beauty of Mayon, there is wrath and potential destruction.

 

The 2,462-meter volcano is restive again. And soon enough, a throng of domestic and foreign tourists will surely start flying in.

The world renowned Mayon volcano shows its perfect cone shape on October 7, 2014 near the Phivolcs monitoring station in Albay. The tranquil view almost hides the fact that the volcano is likely to erupt any day now. Allan Gatus

 

It brings me back to December of 2009. Thousands of volcano-watchers flocked into the province. Hotels were fully-booked.

 

There were almost no vacant tables at Small Talk Café, a popular local restaurant that serves its signature Pasta Mayon. Taxi drivers and car rental services were on round-the-clock operations.

 

Business boomed while waiting for the big bang. But it never came.

 

Lessons from the past

 

It wasn’t always like a fiesta.

 

During my coverage of the 2006 eruption for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, I met farmer Gregorio Abellano of Barangay Mabinit in Legazpi City. And he recounted his fears.

 

On Feb. 2, 1993, he said he heard what seemed like the engine of an airplane roaring overhead.

 

The volcano spewed hot rocks over his farm in Sitio Balagbag Na Bulod, which was not far away from the crater.

 

Abellano ran for his life, away from the “tuga” (rain of fire) and “uson” (swirling hot clouds) that descended swiftly on Mayon’s slopes.

 

Some 50 meters away, he found shelter inside a shallow hole he dug for his copra produce. But he wasn’t able to escape the searing heat that licked his skin. It caused major burns on his face and body, leaving a big scar and a painful memory.

 

But not everyone was as lucky as Abellano. A total of 79 farmers died in the 1993 eruption.

Lava flows from the crater of Mayon volcano as seen from Legazpi City, Albay on Wednesday, September 17, 2014. Lava continued to cascade down the Philippines most active volcano as authorities rushed to evacuate thousands ahead of a possible deadly eruption. AFP/Charism Sayat

 

Incredibly close

 

In 2006, Mt. Mayon’s lava trail broke records to be the longest in 30 years. It was so long it encroached the six-kilometer-radius permanent danger zone, where the farmlands are.

 

I was then a neophyte countryside journalist when I had the chance to have a close encounter with Mayon in its restive state. It was a risk that I took out of curiosity.

 

The goal of our climb was to reach the lava front or the edge of the lava trail. We got there after a few hours’ trek.

 

The lava front looked like a humongous mound of blazing soil with rocks and boulders. It was so hot we couldn’t come so near.

 

During the climb, there were times we could hear the volcano’s loud rumblings and feel the momentary ground tremors—signs of magma rising inside the volcano’s pipe.

 

The lava, which was as high as a four-storey building, was moving and slowly inching toward us. It burned and trampled the coconut trees that blocked its way.

 

I got back to base alive.

 

Cagsawa Ruins

 

The year 1814 is engraved in every Albayano’s mind. What could be Mayon’s most lethal eruption in recorded history happened that year.

 

None of us have lived in that era, but the tragic tale has been passed on through generations like tales of the Second World War.

 

The volcano belched dark ash and spewed pyroclastic materials that engulfed the town of Cagsawa. More than 2,000 people were believed to have perished.

 

The town church was buried and only its belfry remains standing to this day.

 

The belfry at Cagsawa Ruins at Barangay Busay in Daraga, Albay is what you’d normally see on postcards and history books.

 

But more than that, for the Albayanos, it is a standing reminder of Mayon’s fury that hides beneath its slopes.

 

Quiet eruption

 

At times, the devastation brought by Mayon doesn’t happen in a bang.

 

What state volcanologists called a “mild and quiet” eruption in 2006 claimed more than 800 lives. But the tragedy happened only four months after the first ash explosion in July.

 

For months, the volcano constantly spewed lava that were deposited on the volcano’s slopes. Thousands of families were evacuated, though the villages remained unharmed—until November came, when super typhoon Reming hit the province.

 

Rainwater swept an avalanche of volcanic debris from the slopes and gullies down to the villages—wiping off vulnerable communities.

 

Hundreds of people were buried under lahar and many of them have never been found.

 

Disaster protocols

 

Albayanos are known to be masters of disasters.

 

When Alert Level 3 was hoisted over Mt. Mayon by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on the night of September 15, an evacuation plan was ready by dawn of Tuesday. 

 

Mandatory evacuation began in less than 24 hours and the evacuation target was hit within 48 hours.

 

Of course, temporary shelters have already been pre-designated while a disaster response protocol has been carefully designed to work even down to the village level.

 

The provincial government long ago formed the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO). And through the years, it has refined its best practices disaster after disaster.

 

For a province often exposed to various calamities and hazards like Albay, preparedness has become a knee-jerk reaction.

 

Cruel irony

 

But Albayanos would easily forgive Mt. Mayon, even if the volcano has claimed thousands of lives.

 

When the lava cools down and the rumblings end, residents living near or within the danger zones would still go back to their villages, back to their normal lives.

 

They return to their farms on the fertile slopes of the volcano, because it’s their main source of living. It feeds them and their children.

 

So Albayanos are torn between hating a killer volcano and loving the same for its economic value and enthralling beauty—a bittersweet irony that sparks resilience.

 

 

Ephraim Aguilar grew up in Bicol. He was a regional correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer. He now works for GMA News as an executive producer for News TV LIVE.

This article was first published on subselfie.com, a collective blog and a passion project of nine news professionals from GMA Network.

Business booms while waiting for big bang

By Ephraim Aguilar
Inquirer Southern Luzon
INQUIRER.net

LEGAZPI CITY--With more than 75,000 volcano-watchers flocking into Albay province this month alone, there were no vacant tables at the Small Talk Café on Sunday.

The Hotel St. Ellis, an expensive establishment that opened only this month, had just one room left on Tuesday night. Hotel Venezia was fully booked for five days until the 29th.

Taxi drivers say they’re averaging only three hours of sleep and car rental services are on round-the-clock operations.

Business is booming in Albay as thousands of adventure-seeking tourists are drawn to the restive Mayon Volcano with many even risking their lives to get close to the spectacular flowing lava, according to provincial authorities.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said 2,400 tourists a day had been pouring into the area since the famously active volcano started oozing lava on Dec. 14, compared with about 200 a day before.

“All the hotels are fully booked, even the cheapest ones,” Salceda said.

He said the tourists typically only stay overnight to view the crimson lava oozing from the volcano’s crater in the dark.

“It is like a slow-moving meteor show. You really feel awe when you see it,” he said.

Courting danger

However, Salceda said many tourists were also slipping past security patrols to enter the 8-kilometer danger zone around Mayon to get a close-up experience of the slow-moving lava column.

“There are enough thrill-seekers and, when you combine them with some enterprising local guides, they find their way in,” he said.

The military heightened security around Mayon on Monday after two foreign tourists were seen over the weekend riding all-terrain vehicles toward the volcano.

Salceda warned that although the lava was slow-moving, there was still a danger from volcanic ash that could mix with rainwater to form a lethal, fast-moving mudflow.

Such a confluence had claimed hundreds of lives in the past, most recently in 2006.

“It’s a big problem. I think the first violation of the zero casualty [record] will be a dead tourist,” said Salceda.

“At the moment of eruption, the local guides will have a better chance of getting out. The hapless tourist will be left behind,” he said.

Businesses here claim that their revenues have increased by as much as 30 percent since Mayon started becoming restive as tourists are drawn to the volcanic show.

Soaring revenues

At the Small Talk Café, diners came nonstop on Sunday. Café owner Bernadette Peralta said it was like Valentine’s Day, the only time of the year when sales would triple.

“We have even surpassed last year’s December sales when there was less competition,” said Peralta, noting that the café experienced similar high sales in 2006, when the volcano last erupted.

One of Small Talk’s specialties, Pasta Mayon, has also become some kind of attraction. The dish is made from the triangular ravioli pasta arranged to resemble Mayon’s nearly perfect cone. It is topped by a sizzling red sauce that looks like flowing lava.

Round-the-clock service

There is round-the-clock demand for car services from tourists asking to be driven to Ligñon Hill whose deck affords a full view of Mayon as well as a 360-degree vista of the city and neighboring Daraga town.

Harvey Santos Mayores, manager of the Early Riser Taxi Services, who drives one of his own units, said he is usually on the road until 2 a.m.

Edward Belda, a driver for the Benmar Transport Services, has been hiring himself out to media organizations covering the natural disaster by day and to lava-watching tourists by night.

The flag-down rate for taxicabs here is P30. Car rental rates range from P3,500 to P4,500 per day, depending on the length and duration of travel.

Tour guides

On ordinary days, 60-year-old Benny Rodriguez is a golf course caretaker in Barangay Padang. Now he earns extra as a tour guide.

He said many tourists wanting a closer view of Mayon would negotiate the rough climb to the Legazpi Golf Course, which is inside the 8-km extended danger zone. The course is just within the 5-km radius of the volcano.

Not being a regular guide, Rodriguez, whose clients include media people, tourists and celebrities, does not charge a fixed rate and accepts whatever the customer is willing to give.

He said local tourists tend to be more generous. Recently, a famous golf-playing television host paid him P1,000.

Chopper rides

Misibis Bay Raintree, a luxury island resort in the Albay Gulf and the Pacific Ocean, has noted a significant increase in revenues from its A-list market.

The resort on Cagraray Island offers to high-end clients a volcano adventure tour package, which includes a one-hour chopper ride or an ocean cruise to view Mayon from a safe distance.

Manager Ian Varona said there are precautions to take to ensure the safety of tourists but Mayon, one of the world’s wonders, should not be feared.

He said letting tourism thrive will help boost the local economy, generate more jobs and bring long-term benefits.

Losses suffered

Political economist Carl Ala of the University of the Philippines-Manila, who is now based in Bicol, said that increased business revenues because of the Mayon eruption were still nothing compared to the losses suffered.

“We should also see the calamity’s damage to crops. Many farmers were not able to harvest. The government’s relief spending amounts to P1.5 million daily,” Ala said.

Salceda, who earlier said that disaster tourism was not one of his government’s development strategies, estimated that 75,000 tourists came to Albay in December alone.

This one-month figure has already surpassed the number of tourists that arrived in the province in 2008, he said. With a report from Agence France-Presse

Tourists look for best view of Mayon

By Ephraim Aguilar
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 01:24:00 12/28/2009
INQUIRER.net

LEGAZPI CITY—Hotel Venezia is fully booked until Tuesday.

When tourists—from Asia, America and Europe—come, they would ask the front desk which part of Legazpi would give them the best view of the erupting volcano, especially at night.

Gail Narramore, a British-South African missionary, has found Mount Mayon a stunning sight when evening falls.

“It looks like a Christmas tree,” said Narramore, who founded the Albay-based charity group Tiwala Kids and Communities.

Front desk officer Pearl de Guzman told the Inquirer that guests checking into the 40-room hotel had increased since the 2,460-meter mountain started spewing lava two weeks ago.

Digvijay Ankoti, 29, came all way from India just to see the eruption. He drove from Manila to Legazpi with two other Indian friends, one of them married to a Filipino.

It was Ankoti’s first time to see a volcano on the brink of a possibly hazardous blast.

He and his companions have gone lava-watching, going to the top of Ligñon Hill, which offers a full view of the volcano when the sky is clear. The hilltop also offers a 360-degree view of this city and neighboring Daraga town.

Barred from danger zone

Marian Lacson-Singh, 32, one of Ankoti’s companions, said the lava trail was “magnificent,” which made their long drive from Manila worthwhile.

Ankoti said his group once tried to venture into a danger zone—an area within an 8-kilometer radius from the volcano’s flaming mouth—hoping they could get a closer look of the eruption.

The military barred them.

Other tourist sites

Manuel Montiero, 57, from Luxembourg, who also went Mayon-watching at the observatory, said he had seen the Taal, Pinatubo and Bulusan volcanoes but found Mayon most captivating.

Montiero voted for Mayon in the 7 Wonders of the World online search.

Tourism department offices were closed for the holidays and the exact number of tourists, foreign and domestic, who have come to Albay to watch the spectacle of an erupting volcano were not immediately available.

Aside from Mayon, other tourist destinations in Albay are the Misibis resort, Embarcadero commercial complex, and the Tiwi and Manito geothermal sites. Neighboring Sorsogon province offers whale shark-watching in Donsol town.

Disaster tourism

While tourists may have been drawn to the sight of lava cascading down the slopes of Mayon, the provincial government is not keen on encouraging “disaster tourism,” Gov. Joey Salceda said in an earlier interview.

“Disaster tourism is certainly not within the contemplation of the provincial development strategy, even if disaster risk reduction and tourism are integral components,” he said.

Salceda said the sudden surge of tourists was an unintended consequence of a volcanic eruption.

He said the increased tourist arrivals were reflected in the number of visitors Mayon-watching at the observatory (where the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology or Phivolcs is located), in increased visits by nongovernment organizations and sociocivic groups to evacuation centers, and in wider media coverage of Albay.

Bicol Tourism Director Nini Ravanilla described Mayon as a timeless tourist attraction.

The volcano has erupted 49 times since records began, claiming thousands of lives. In 1814, more than 1,200 people were killed as lava buried the town of Cagsawa.

Deceptive calm

Alert Level 4 remains hoisted over Mayon, meaning a hazardous eruption is possible within days.

Volcanologists yesterday reiterated that while Mayon might be showing less visible signs of unrest, this could be a deceptive calm before a deadly eruption.

“Do not become complacent. The people only see what is coming out of the crater and that is often cloud covered. It is not just the observed phenomenon that matters. We also look at the quakes, the gas emitted and the swelling of the volcano,” warned Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum.

“We are telling the people, ‘Do not just count the number of quakes or what you see from the crater.’ It may look calm but it is not calm. It can still explode,” Solidum said in a radio broadcast.

“You might think it is taking a break but the volcano is still swelling,” he said, after the restive volcano produced fewer ash emissions on Sunday than in previous days.

2006 pattern

Solidum said the volcano could stay active for as long as two months, similar to its last eruption in 2006 when it simmered for months, dumping tons of ash on its slopes.

No one was killed by the eruption itself but in December of that year a passing typhoon dislodged the ash from Mayon’s slopes, turning it into a fast-moving mudflow that covered villages and killed about a thousand people.

More than 47,000 people have fled to 29 evacuation centers, although some villagers are known to defy Army security, sneaking out to periodically return home for supplies.

Still restive

Phivolcs said that based on observations over a 24-hour period, Mayon was still in a state of high unrest, unleashing nine ash explosions accompanied by rumbling sounds.

The blasts produced dirty white to brownish ash columns, with lava fragments, that reached heights of up to 1,000 meters above the summit. Forty-four volcanic earthquakes were recorded.

The sulfur dioxide emission rate has decreased from the previous 8,993 tons per day to 2,304 tons per day.

Communications equipment

As part of intensified preparations for a major eruption, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) regional office has issued additional communication equipment to Task Force Mayon (TFM).

According to Capt. Razaleigh G. Bansawan, TFM spokesperson, a total of 900 Motorola handheld radios with complete accessories have been issued to the task force.

The radios were distributed to nine military checkpoints within the danger zones.

Officials said forced evacuation of villagers seemed to be working, especially in view of government assurances to residents that their property would be protected during their absence. With reports from Rey M. Nasol, Inquirer Southern Luzon, and AFP

‘Damayan’ spirit alive amid threat of big Mayon eruption

By Ephraim Aguilar
Inquirer Southern Luzon

LEGAZPI CITY—In a world that has gotten smaller for the 47,000 evacuees from Mayon Volcano, everything has to be shared—from food to sleeping mats, from bathrooms to the air they breathe.

And they are living together after escaping a common danger—a possible major eruption of Mayon that, scientists Saturday warned, remained a real threat because of the buildup of magma, clogging the volcano.

In their now smaller world in an evacuation center at Albay Central School, 367 displaced families from Barangay Matanag receive the same amount of food from relief agencies—regardless of the size of each family.

It is in such situations that the damayan (sharing) culture among Filipinos comes to the fore, sociologists say.

“Smaller families would share what they have with bigger families. We would help one another,” evacuee Cynthia Aydalla, a mother of four, told the Inquirer.

“We would buy vegetables from other evacuees. They would bring their harvests here in the evacuation center rather than sell them in the market,” she said.

Sharing little they have

Matanag is one of more than 30 villages within the 8-kilometer danger zone whose residents had to flee their homes to escape the threat from Mayon.

Once it happened that the Aydallas received six kilograms of rice, four packs of noodles, eight canned goods, and a 25-gram pack of coffee that were supposed to be good for three days.

That was also the same ration that Alex Abellena and his family of seven children received—an amount that wouldn’t last them more than two days.

Such a discrepancy has fostered a feeling of generosity among the evacuees.

One big family

In the cramped classrooms of San Roque Elementary School, lack of a comfortable sleeping space was also a problem.

The solution: The evacuees put together, like jigsaw puzzle pieces, whatever mats they had. In the absence of mats, they shared cardboard cartons to shield themselves against the cold floors.

“All evacuees would sleep together like one big family,” said Josie Perez, 41, of Barangay Mabinit.

Since a classroom houses as many as over 100 people, some would sleep in the hallways, Perez said. Others, including a one-month-old baby, slept on a stage.

Upon waking up, over 1,000 evacuees would form long queues to the only two functional bathrooms in the evacuation center.

“Some of us would wake as early as 1 a.m. to avoid the long queues. Others found it more convenient to go back to their houses in the danger zones to clean themselves up,” Perez told the Inquirer.

Culture of generosity

Dolly Laguilles, a sociology professor from Bicol University in Daraga, Albay, said: “It is true that crisis creates a political climate for giving. But in the evacuation centers, it may be more than that.”

She said the tales of generosity from crowded evacuation centers were real and deeply rooted to the Filipino way of life.

“Generosity is a Christian deed. Filipinos are innately generous people,” Laguilles said. “Calamities like this would simply test generosity, a value that has always been there, though, at times, it just has to be revived.

She added: “The damayan culture becomes a source of strength for the refugees. It helps them cope and stand strong.”

Uniquely Filipino

Laguilles said Filipino sociologists have unique terms to describe similar rural values of sharing—“pakikisama, damayan, and bayanihan.”

“These are unique Filipino values deeply embedded in the Filipino’s familial culture.”

She said the damayan culture preserved in rural communities was something urban Filipinos could learn from.

“Urban Filipinos value their space and privacy so much more than the rural folk,” Laguilles said. “That is why the refugees could adapt in crowded evacuation centers and could easily share what they have with one another.”

The sense of being faced with the same danger—that posed by an angry mountain—may have reinforced that communal feeling.

Buildup of magma

Volcanologists on Saturday said that while fewer earthquakes had been recorded from the volcano in recent days, magma continued to build up inside and any lull in activity could be followed by a bigger eruption.

A hazardous eruption remains possible within days, and residents who live near the volcano’s slopes should not be misled into leaving the evacuation centers and venturing back to their homes, warned volcanologist Ed Laguerta.

“The number of volcanic earthquakes has gone down, but this is just part of the eruptive cycle of Mayon,” he said.

1984 lesson

The number of quakes decreased from 871 recorded during the 24-hour period ending Friday morning to 406 recorded during the next 24 hours, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

Laguerta said instruments showed the volcano remained inflated despite having spilled more than 20 million cubic meters of lava over the last two weeks. That means the lava being released is being replaced by magma coming from beneath the volcano.

“We are looking not only at what Mayon is presently exhibiting because that fluctuates. We are also looking at its past characteristics,” he said, recalling that in 1984, a four-day lull was followed by a sudden, big eruption.

He added: “What is becoming clear is that (the volcano) is getting clogged. That is when the lava is rising but cannot get out.”

“Just because the volcano looks calm … it does not mean its activity is decreasing. We cannot be off our guard. After this calm period, it could explode with even more force,” Laguerta said.

Hissing, rumbling

Showing no letup in its “high level of activity,” Mayon hissed and rumbled, ejecting ash columns a kilometer high from its summit, Phivolcs said.

It said the rumblings continued to be heard at the Lignon Hill Observatory in Legazpi. A total of 406 earthquakes also shook the mountain and emissions of sulfur dioxide remained high at 8,993 tons per day.

Alert level 4, meaning a hazardous eruption is possible within days, remains enforced and no one is allowed to venture within the 8-km danger zone from the summit, it said.

“Areas just outside of this (danger zone) should prepare for evacuation in the event hazardous explosive eruptions intensify,” Phivolcs said.

Gov. Joey Salceda is offering P100,000 in cash to any barangay affected by the continuing eruptions that doesn’t suffer any casualties.

“If we achieve the zero-casualty target, then it would entice investors to come in because it is proven that we can move on in the mid of calamities, yet Albay is still worth investing,” Salceda said.

The 2,460-meter has erupted 49 times in recorded history. In 1814, more than 1,200 people were killed as lava buried the town of Cagsawa. With reports from Alcuin Papa, AP and AFP

Mayon evacuees keep alive spirit of Christmas

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 rescue for Mayon holdouts, gov warns

By Rey M. Nasol and Ephraim Aguilar
Inquirer Southern Luzon and Alcuin Papa in Manila

LEGAZPI CITY—ALBAY OFFIcials yesterday warned villagers that no one would come to help them if they refused to evacuate and Mayon Volcano erupted violently, but the holdouts said they preferred to spend Christmas in their homes than in government centers.

Gov. Joey Salceda issued the warning as troops launched a hunt for the hard-headed ones amid threats of a major eruption by the most active Philippine volcano.

“If you are there, you die there. There is no way of rescuing people (if) rescuers would also be killed,” Salceda said in a press briefing.

In a yet another frightening display of its power, Mayon boomed 124 times over a 24-hour period, while belching out ash columns towering 2 kilometers over its summit, higher than its previous ejections.

But hundreds of villagers still ignored appeals for them to evacuate.

“After field validation, 179 more families are still within the danger zones. This excludes those who have returned without our knowledge,” said Salceda, chair of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC).

Officials recalled that 77 farmers and thousands of animals were scorched to death by scalding volcanic materials in Bonga, Buyuan and Mabinit villages in this city during a series of Mayon eruptions from February to April in 1993.

Taking chances

Despite President Macapagal-Arroyo’s order of forced evacuation, some residents within the 8-km extended danger zone would rather take their chances than leave their possessions and animals behind.

“We have lived here for a long time, we know the volcano. We’d rather spend Christmas here than in the crowded evacuation centers,” said Cris Mendioro, 34, of Barangay Matanag.

Mendioro, whose house is just a few meters from an Army checkpoint, said he and the others had packed their belongings and were ready to leave should a major eruption come.

Volcanologists have placed Mayon—which began spewing ash and lava on Dec. 14—under alert level 4, meaning a hazardous blast could occur within hours or days. The highest alert, level 5, means a major eruption is under way.

Wailing of dogs

Aside from Mayon’s productive soil, cattle, crops, and attachment to pets—like dogs—impel villagers to risk their lives and hang on in their residences, instead of living in evacuation sites.

“We are already listed at the evacuation center but heads of families, like me, come back to feed the pigs and pets,” Arnulfo Marcellana, 43, of Barangay Mabinit, told the Inquirer yesterday morning during the forced evacuation.

“The dogs are pitiful to hear every time we return here. They wail in hunger. If only they will assure us that they will feed our animals, things would be much easier for us,” the father of three added.

On one of his returns, Marcellana decided to just untie his 4-month-old pig so it could look for its own food.

“I just hope it is still there when we are allowed to come back,” he said. “Imagine if their cries are heard at the evacuation center. We would wonder if our pets and animals were having anything to eat.”

Marcellana said the thought kept haunting him and his family now that they were heeding warnings not to return home just yet.

‘I am used to this’

Luis Esquivel, also of Mabini and a relative of some of the farmers killed in the 1993 eruption, said that although he kept coming back to his village, he could not sleep.

He said he was always on the alert, closely watching Mayon’s crater while he tended his crops.

“I have my motorcycle always with me for a quick escape,” Esquivel said. “I am used to this. I have experienced these things six times in my life since childhood.”

He added: “What we are afraid of is the ‘uson’ (pyroclastic flows), which killed farmers here.”

Forced evacuation

In Barangay Bonga, 8 km from the crater, hundreds of people still roamed the streets as if nothing was happening with the volcano.

“Barangay Bonga will be our next target for the forced evacuation simultaneously with other areas in the northern and eastern side of Mayon,” said Capt. Razaleigh G. Bansawan, 901st Infantry Brigade and Task Force Mayon spokesperson.

Mila Atun, 45, a mother of 6, said she came back not only to get firewood and kitchen utensils but also to fetch Mariel Alaurin, an 8-year-old neighbor left behind by her parents, who are now at an evacuation center.

Alaurin, in tears, said her father was working in the rice field when he was taken to the evacuation center. She was left alone at home.

Atun said: “We have gotten used to this kind of situation—evacuating even if we are safe here.”

No entry

As early as 5 a.m. yesterday, Task Force Mayon, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and local government units began implementing Ms Arroyo’s evacuation order.

“A platoon of soldiers from the task force and CHR-Bicol and three military vehicles were sent to the villages within the 6-8-kilometer danger zones to enforce the directive,” Bansawan said.

“As soon as the mission is completed 100 percent, all roads to the restricted areas will be sealed off,” Bansawan said.

No exceptions

Col. Marlou Salazar, commanding officer of the 901st Brigade, briefed the enforcers on the rights of the people and the troops’ responsibilities after everyone had been taken out of the danger zones.

“They will have to patrol the area against thieves because the residents have left some of their belongings, some animals, like pigs, and their pets,” Salazar said.

“Forcible evacuation has been ordered, no more exceptions and operations have commenced,” Salceda said.

He added: “We have patiently explored and employed all means, all ways, just to get the 10,000 families out of danger. We could have completed the task in one day, instead of nine days, but did not due to the 179 families still out there, excluding those who have returned without letting us know.”

He said dogs would also be evacuated, as well as cattle, carabaos, pigs and pets.

New phase

Harmonic tremors from within the volcano have been replaced by more frequent explosions.

Volcanologist Alex Baloloy said these changes, noted since 4 p.m. Wednesday, might indicate a new phase in the volcano’s activity.

Lava fountains reaching a peak height of 500 meters were seen at least four times.

But even if the number of volcanic earthquakes have dropped to 815 from Tuesday’s 1,051 and the sulfur dioxide emission rate have fallen to 5,737 tons a day from 6,737 tons, Baloloy said a hazardous blast was still possible.

“These figures are still very high. There is no lull in Mayon’s volcanic activity,” the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) scientist said.

Many of Wednesday’s ash explosions were not visible as Mayon was mostly covered with clouds but 124 booms were heard.

Lava at plantations

Lava continued to flow down, reaching flat areas along the Bonga-Buyuan, Miisi, and Lidong channels—all in the volcano’s southeast sector covering this city and the towns of Sto. Domingo and Daraga.

Baloloy said the lava front could have already reached coconut and vegetable plantations, but it was expected to travel more slowly henceforth, having hit flat areas.

In Manila, Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum said the decreased number of earthquakes was not a sign that Mayon would quiet down.

“It is the tremors that is more significant. Tremors and the rumbling sounds are longer and more vital... To say the volcano is on its way to quieting down based on the number of recorded earthquakes would be misleading,” Solidum told the Inquirer.

He said volcanic earthquakes, tremors and rumblings were not the only basis in considering the activity of a volcano. Other factors, he said, like ash explosions and lava flow, should be considered.

No rescue for bullheaded Mayon residents—Salceda

By Rey M. Nasol, Ephraim Aguilar
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 18:17:00 12/24/2009
INQUIRER.net

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—Albay officials on Thursday warned villagers no one would come to help them if they refused to evacuate and Mayon Volcano erupts violently

But hold-outs—residents who continue to resist government’s evacuation orders—said they preferred to spend Christmas in their homes than in evacuation centers.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda issued the warning as troops searched villages in danger zones for the hard-headed residents amid threats of a major eruption by the most active volcano in the Philippines.

"If you are there, you die there. There is no way of rescuing people (if) rescuers would also be killed," Salceda said in a press briefing.

In yet another frightening display of its power, Mayon boomed 124 times over a 24-hour period, while belching ash columns towering 1.2 kilometers over its summit, higher than its previous ejections.

But hundreds of villagers still ignored government appeals for them to evacuate.

"After field validation, 179 more families are still within the danger zones. This excludes those who have returned without our knowledge," said Salceda, chair of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council.

Officials recalled 77 farmers and thousands of animals were burned to death by volcanic materials in Bonga, Buyuan and Mabinit villages in this city during a series of Mayon eruptions from February to April in 1993.

Despite more frequent explosions and President Macapagal-Arroyo's order for forced evacuation, some residents within the 8-km extended danger zone would rather take their chances than leave their possessions and their animals behind.

"We have lived here for a long time, we know the volcano. We'd rather spend Christmas here than in the crowded evacuation centers," said Cris Mendioro, 34, of Barangay Matanag.

Mendioro, whose house is just a few meters from an Army checkpoint, said he and the others had packed their belongings and were ready to leave should the volcano erupt.

Volcanologists have placed Mayon—which began spewing ash on Dec. 14—under alert level 4, meaning a hazardous blast could occur within hours or days. The highest alert, level 5, means a major eruption is underway.

Aside from Mayon’s productive soil, cattle, crops, attachment to pets, like dogs, drive villagers to risk their lives and stay in their residences instead of living in crowded evacuation sites.

"We are already listed at the evacuation center in Barangay San Roque but heads of families, like me, come back to feed the pigs and pets," Arnulfo Marcellana, 43, of Barangay Mabinit, told the INQUIRER Thursday morning during the forced evacuation.

"The dogs are pitiful to hear every time we return here. They wail in hunger. If only they (disaster officials) will assure us that they will feed our animals, things would be much easier for us," the father of three added.

On one of his returns, Marcellana decided to just untie his 4-month-old pig so that it could look for its own food.

"I just hope it is still there when we are allowed to finally go back," he said. "Imagine if their cries could be heard at the evacuation center, we would wonder if our pets and animals were finding anything to eat."

Marcellana said the thought kept bothering him and his family now that they had decided to heed warnings not to return home just yet.

Luis Esquivel, also of Mabini and a relative of some of the farmers killed in the 1993 eruption, said that although he had kept coming back to his village, he could not sleep.

He said he was always on the alert, closely watching Mayon’s crater while he tended his crops.

"I have my motorcycle always with me for a quick escape," Esquivel said. "I am used to this. I have experienced these things six times in my life since childhood."

He added: "What we are afraid of is the 'uson' (pyroclastic flows), which killed farmers here."

In the adjacent Barangay Bonga, 8 km from Mayon's crater, hundreds of people still roamed the streets as if things were normal.

"Barangay Bonga will be our next target for the forced evacuation simultaneously with other areas in the northern and eastern side of Mayon," said Capt. Razaleigh G. Bansawan, 901st Infantry Brigade and Task Force Mayon spokesperson.

Mila Atun, 45, mother of 6, said she came back to get firewood and kitchen utensils, and also to fetch Mariel Alaurin, an 8-year-old neighbor left behind by her parents, who are now at a evacuation center in Gogon Elementary School.

Alaurin, in tears, said her father was working in the rice field when he was taken to the evacuation center. The girl was left home alone.

Atun said: "We have gotten used to this kind of situation—evacuating even if we are safe here."

A man who refused to give his name said his family was already in the evacuation center and that no one was left, except him, to look after their carabao, cows, goats and crops. He said he still has not decided whether to leave Barangay Bonga.

As early as 5 a.m. Thursday, Task Force Mayon, the Commission on Human Rights and local government units began implementing Ms Arroyo’s order for forced evacuation.

"A platoon of soldiers from the task force and CHR-Bicol and three military vehicles were sent to the villages within the 6-8-kilometer danger zones to enforce the directive," Bansawan said during the conduct of the forced evacuation at Barangay Mabinit here.

Bansawan also said that a team from the Albay Health and Emergency Management was also requested to attend to incapacitated persons that would be found in the area.

The directive was also issued to all the units manning the checkpoints along the 8-km danger zones to strictly enforce the no-entry policy at the areas.

"As soon as the mission is 100 percent completed, all road networks to the restricted areas will be sealed off," Bansawan said.

Col. Marlou Salazar, commanding officer of the 901st Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, briefed the enforcing elements on the rights of the people and their remaining responsibilities after all the people have been forcibly taken out of the danger zones.

"They will have to patrol the area against thieves as the residents opted to leave some of their belongings, some animals like pigs and their pets," Salazar said.

"Forcible evacuation has been ordered, no more exceptions and operations have commenced," Salceda said, adding

"We have patiently explored and employed all means, all ways, all sorts just to get the 10,000 families out of danger and keep within CHR guidance. We could have completed the task in one day instead of nine days but did not due to 179 families still out there, excluding those who have returned without letting us know."

He said dogs would be evacuated as well as the villagers' cattle, carabaos, pigs and pets and be given corresponding feeds for free at their designated evacuation centers in the Albay Breeding Station in Camalig, in Barangay Paraputo in Tabaco City, in Mauraro in Guinobatan and in Bogtong, this city as identified by the Provincial Veterinary Services Office.

Salceda added that the Department of Agriculture Bicol regional office had also provided P15 million fund for post-calamity and rehabilitation activities.

Villagers lose sleep over Mayon, evacuation

(Page A16)

LEGAZPI CITY—VILLAGERS near Mayon are losing sleep over two things—the volcano’s continued rumbling and soldiers on patrol enforcing orders to forcibly move people out of harm’s way.

Josie Perez, 41, knows how it is to spend sleepless nights. She sneaked back into her house in Barangay Mabinit here to escape an evacuation center that was getting more crowded as Mayon kept sending signs of a major eruption.

Loud rumbling from the volcano kept her awake all night. It didn’t help that the roof of her house shook each time.

At each rumbling, she would go out to look at Mayon. “Its glow has become more intense,” she said.

Evacuees, she said, sneak back into their homes near or inside the danger zones during the day to do three things—wash clothes, gather firewood and feed the animals.

Denver Balenzuela, 3, was in Barangay Matnog in Daraga town at dusk while the rest of the village sat empty like a ghost town after forced evacuation.

Teresita Poquilla, 55, the boy’s grandmother, said they spent the night in their house despite the danger because her grandson refused to use toilets at the evacuation center.

“When the Army went around last night, we turned our lights off for fear that they might force us to go back to the shelters,” Poquilla said.

She recalled seeing a neighbor, a paralytic, being carried away by soldiers.

Poquilla said she and her grandson leaves the evacuation center at 6 a.m. and returns at 4 p.m.

On Monday, they stayed home but rumbling sound from Mayon kept her awake. It sounded, she said, “like rocks chasing one another.”

The absence of a lava fountain despite the raising of the alert level to 4, she said, was what worried her.

“There seems to be a blockage inside the volcano,” she said.
Conrado Nuñez, 71, of Barangay Mabinit, has seen seven previous eruptions.

He sat at the door of his house in the village, keeping watch while his family stayed at the evacuation center in San Roque Elementary School.

If there was something that the villagers fear most, he said, it was what they call uson, a local term for the flow of pyroclastic materials.

Nuñez has learned one lesson in the 1993 eruption—nothing, not even his farm, was worth his life. “We don’t have second lives,” he said. Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon

Dark Christmas for fleeing Mayon folk

By Ephraim Aguilar
Inquirer Southern Luzon
INQUIRER.net

LEGAZPI CITY—Albay officials have begun moving thousands of villagers out of harm’s way near Mayon Volcano after it oozed lava and shot plumes of ash late Monday.

Officials said the villagers would probably spend a bleak Christmas in an evacuation center.

Government volcanologists raised the alert level on the cone-shaped, 2,460-meter volcano overnight to two steps below eruption after ash explosions and dark orange lava fragments glowing in the dark trickled down the mountain slope.

Nearly 50,000 people live in the “hazard areas” within an eight-kilometer radius around Mayon, and authorities were ordering them to leave in case the volcano erupts, Gov. Joey Salceda said.

In Barangay Matanag, the first batch of evacuees, made up mostly of women, children and the elderly, boarded a police truck at 3 p.m. Tuesday. They clutched luggage, plastic bottles of water, mats, pillows, blankets, firewood and kitchenware
“We cannot disobey this order. We are one with the provincial government’s zero-casualty goal,” said Bienvenido Belga Sr., the barangay captain.
20,000 evacuated
‘As of 6 Tuesday night, 4,552 families or over 20,000 people had been evacuated, officials said.
Salceda said he decided to cancel a trip to Copenhagen, where he was to attend a UN climate conference to discuss his province’s experience with typhoons and other natural disasters.

He said he would appeal for foreign aid to deal with the expected influx of displaced villagers into emergency shelters.

The first of 20 vehicles, including Army trucks, were sent to villages to take residents to schools and other temporary housing, according to Juke Nuñez, a provincial emergency management official.

“It’s 10 days before Christmas. Most likely people will be in evacuation centers, and if Mayon’s activity won’t ease down we will not allow them to return to their homes,” Nuñez said. “It’s difficult and sad, especially for children.”

Worsening state

Magma had been rising in the volcano over the past two weeks and began to ooze out of its crater on Monday night, but it could get worse in coming days, said Renato Solidum, head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

“Now lava is trickling down, but if the ascent of magma is sustained there will be lava flows,” Solidum said. “There is also the possibility of an explosion.”

Belga said 362 families in Matanag had to be evacuated to the Albay Central School in the city.

The villagers hardly slept since Monday night. “Everyone is anxious about the volcano,” Belga told the Inquirer.

Most people are afraid of Mayon, which brought tragedies in the past, Belga said. In 1993, the volcano erupted and killed more than 70 people.

Belga said barangay officials had been making the rounds overnight to warn people through a megaphone to stay alert because the volcano could erupt anytime.
The order to evacuate came the next day, Belga said.

Early preparations

Melyn Lascano, 43, said her family had packed their belongings as early as August when the volcano was showing signs of unrest.

“It’s better to always be prepared because Mayon these days is so uncertain,” she said.

Aside from clothes, the Lascanos brought with them food and cooking utensils.
“We were told that relief goods will not yet be distributed tonight (Tuesday) so we made sure we would have something to eat until tomorrow morning,” Lascano said in Bicol.

Adelina Atun, 60, knew as early as Sunday that she and her two children were likely to be evacuated.

Mayon’s rumblings have become louder, Atun said. “Sometimes, the volcano would sound like an airplane,” she said, adding that the intense crater glow would make her feel nervous.

Atun’s husband, however, like most of the menfolk in the village, was left to guard the family’s property and farm animals.

When the first batch of evacuees from Matanag arrived at Albay Central School, the classrooms had already been emptied.

10 families in 1 classroom
The school will also accommodate 362 families from the village and 84 more from Barangay Padang, said Evelyn Bachiller, assistant camp chief.

Ten families, regardless of size, will share one classroom and comfort room.
Bachiller said there were not enough water sources in the school grounds. “We only have one water pump available because the rest had been stolen. But we expect the city government to set up water stations soon,” she said.

Some classes were suspended indefinitely near the danger zone. Officials will find a way to squeeze in classes in school buildings to be used as shelters, Salceda said.

About 30,000 people were moved when Mayon last erupted in 2006. Typhoon-triggered mudslides near the mountain later that year buried entire villages, killing more than 1,000 people.

Most violent eruption

Mayon’s most violent eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1,200 people and buried a town in mud. A 1993 eruption killed 79 people.

The Philippines lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common. Twenty-two out of 37 volcanoes in the archipelago are active. With reports from Alcuin Papa in Manila and Associated Press

DARAGANG MAGAYON: Woman victim or warrior

01 September 2006

By Ephraim Aguilar
Legazpi City

BEHIND MT. MAYON, rising 2,462 meters above Bicol, is a legend telling people that at the core of this magnificent and world-famous volcano, which has been restless since 1999, is the heart of a woman longing to be free.

Mayon was derived from the Bicol word magayon, which means “beautiful,” and was used to name one of the most active volcanoes in the country and one of the natural wonders of the world for its near-perfect cone shape.

According to folklore, Daragang Magayon (Beautiful Maiden), the only daughter of tribal chief Makusog (Strong), grew up to be so beautiful and lovely that men from other tribes vied for her affection.

But she was indifferent to all her suitors. Not even Datu Pagtuga (Eruption), a powerful chief and great hunter, could win her heart even if he showered her father with gifts.

One day, Ulap (Cloud) came after a long walk to see for himself the celebrated beauty of the maiden. Unlike other suitors, Ulap waited patiently until love blossomed between them.

Sensing that his daughter was in love, Makusog did not object to the betrothal and asked his people to prepare a wedding feast.

The news enraged Pagtuga, who abducted Makusog and sent word to Magayon that unless she married him, her beloved father would die and that war would be waged against her tribe.
Magayon could not do anything but give in to Pagtuga’s demand.

Informed about the unhappy turn of events, Ulap, along with his warriors, arrived in time for the wedding rites and killed Pagtuga.

This was not the tale’s happy ending, though. As Magayon rushed to embrace Ulap, she was hit by an arrow and fell to Ulap’s arms. A follower of Pagtuga hurled a spear at Ulap’s back, killing him instantly.

The tragic lovers were buried in one grave which, as time passed, was transformed into a hill. Rumblings, quakes and huge boulders sprouted from the top of what is now Mt. Mayon.

Dr. Juliet Borres, a literature professor and assistant dean at the Bicol University College of Arts and Letters, said folk legends were created by early natives to explain phenomena around them.

The story of Daragang Magayon has different versions, but in each of them, she always died—from an arrow aimed at her or her lover.

According to Borres, the story portrays how women were treated in ancient times—like those of the lower class—their lives determined by men around them and without freedom to speak for themselves.

In the early 1990s, a significant twist in the myth arose after Bicolana poet Merlinda Bobis redefined the character of Daragang Magayon, from being a victim to a woman who bravely battled against oppression. She was transformed into a woman guerrilla.

Bobis has received various prestigious awards, such as the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature in 1987 and 1989, and the Gawad Cultural Center of the Philippines for Literature in 1990.

In her graduate thesis that analyzed Bobis’ Bicol epic “Cantata of the Warrior Woman Daragang Magayon,” Borres stated that in the early part of the narrative, Magayon was presented as well-loved, pampered and adored by people around her.

She was a typical girl who feared blood, was weak and vulnerable. She suffered rejection not only by other people in the tribe but also by her own father.

“The elders in their tribe, who took advantage of the weakness of her aging father Makusog, planned that Magayon be forced to marry Pagtuga as more of a political strategy for the benefit of the tribe. When Magayon learned of that, she decided to transform herself into a warrior to the delight of his father who told her, ‘Indeed you are of my own blood,’ ” Borres said.

Unlike in the traditional legend where Magayon decided to marry Pagtuga in exchange for the freedom of her father, in Bobis’ version, she asked for guidance from the goddess Maguindara.

“The women in the tribe did not want Magayon to marry Pagtuga because they thought he was an enemy, a symbol of oppression against women during their time. When Magayon inquired from Maguindara, she answered her question with another question: ‘Anong sira an dai nagsasabat sa sulong (What is the fish that doesn’t go against the current)? Magayon knew the answer, ‘Tigbak na sira’ (Dead fish),” Borres said.

“What Magayon is trying to portray in her character redefined by Bobis is that, ‘I am not just beautiful. I am not just a weak and typical princess but I am more than that,’ ” she added.
The maiden decided to fight for her father’s freedom. as well as her freedom to love. She was no longer a victim who depended on her tribesmen and Ulap to be rescued.

“In the end of the epic though, it was implied that both Magayon and Ulap died in the battle. But Magayon here died in unsurrendered struggle. She was fighting till the end,” said Borres.

Mayon Volcano has been on a “mild and quiet” eruption for more than a month now, keeping nearly 40,000 villagers confined in government-run shelters away from its shadow.

Knowing the behavior of Mayon now, Borres remembered what Bobis said: “Just like Daragang Magayon, she appears to be gloriously beautiful, calm, and placid but when you listen closely, you will hear murmurs of stories untold about her endless struggle.”

Albay execs declare state of calamity in danger zone

19 July 2006

LEGAZPI CITY—THE ALBAY provincial board yesterday afternoon declared areas within the seven-kilometer extended danger zone under a state of calamity as a preparation for Mt. Mayon’s major eruption, which the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said could be within two weeks or even earlier.

Albay Gov. Fernando Gonzalez said he requested the declaration and it was approved by the board to ensure that the funds will be ready and necessary preparations be put in place before the affected people are evacuated as Mt. Mayon’s rumbling intensifies.

Closely monitoring

Eduardo Laguerta, Phivolcs-Legazpi’s senior science research specialist and resident volcanologist, said there were no recorded major volcanic activities yesterday that could lead to the raising of alert level.

He said, though, that Phivolcs was closely monitoring the volcano’s magma density and lava extrusion rate as it had been observed to be increasing since Friday night when a glowing summit of the volcano was observed and the alert level was elevated to three.

Be vigilant

Residents living immediately outside the six-kilometer-radius permanent danger zone have been advised by the Phivolcs to be vigilant of hazardous pyroclastic and lava flows, rockfalls, and small avalanches from the 2,474-meter volcano.

Based on reports from the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council here, there are six municipalities and 21 villages within the six-to-eight-kilometer distance from the crater with 6,724 families or 37,017 persons. Ephraim Aguilar, Southern Luzon Bureau