Albay officials order decampment of over 54,000 Mayon evacuees

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – The Albay Public Safety Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) has ordered on Tuesday, March 6 the decampment of at least 54,657 persons in evacuation centers after the government lowered Mayon volcano’s status from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3. 

The order covers 14,520 families (54,657 persons) out of the 17,186 families (65,493 persons) displaced due to Mayon. 

APSEMO chief Cedric Daep ordered the total decampment of Mayon evacuees from the cities of Legazpi and Ligao, and the municipalities of Sto Domingo and Bacacay. These evacuees live in the 7- to 8-kilometer-radius Extended Danger Zone.

At least 2,666 families (10,836 persons) living in the 6-kilometer-radius Permanent Danger Zone will remain in their designated evacuation centers for safety. These evacuees come from Tabaco City and the municipalities of Camalig, Guinobatan, Daraga, and Malilipot:

• Tabaco City – 569 families or 2,214 persons
• Camalig – 378 families or 1,693 persons
• Guinobatan – 79 families or 310 persons
• Daraga – 337 families or 1,552 persons 
• Malilipot – 1,303 families or 5,067 persons

Ed Laguerta, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology’s (Phivolcs) resident volcanologist in Bicol, said Mayon remains restive even after the lowering of its status to Alert Level 3. 

“Mayon volcano is still restive and [there’s] no reason for us to relax even though we downgraded the alert status because it may resurge anytime,” he added.

Phivolcs on Tuesday warned that the lowering of Mayon’s alert status should not be interpreted to mean that unrest has ceased. – Rappler.com