Farmers near Mayon Volcano rush to harvest crops

ALBAY, Philippines – Farmers in Albay province are working against time to harvest their crops before the situation near Mayon Volcano worsens.

Amando Bon, a 53-year-old vegetable farmer from Barangay Buang in Tabaco City, is among those racing to gather his squash harvest from his three-hectare farm located within the six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone (PDZ) of the volcano. 

Following permission from Tabaco City Mayor Krisel Lagman-Luistro, Bon and fellow farmers in Buang village began harvesting their crops to salvage their products and generate income before a potentially deadly eruption.

“We allowed the farmers to harvest their crops so that it would not be wasted and for them to have money while in the temporary shelters,” Luistro said.

Bon said he considers himself fortunate that his vegetable plants were ready for harvest, while many other farmers in the area had only recently planted their crops. For them, it will take approximately two months before they can reap and sell their produce.

Harvesting alongside his 15-year-old son, Bon collected about 3,000 kilograms of squash from the volcano’s slopes. He transported the harvest near the roadside to attract prospective buyers.

“It will take a few months for us to plant again. This could be my last harvest,” he said.

Within a few days, the alert level for Mayon Volcano was raised from Level 2 to Level 3, as volcanologists expressed concerns about the likelihood of a hazardous eruption. 

Eugene Escobar, officer-in-charge of the Albay Public Safety Emergency Management Office, said 4,749 families or about 18,184 people living within the six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone, need to be evacuated to safer grounds based on the current alert level.

Escobar said if the Alert Level 4 is raised, at least 5,817 families or some 21,717 people, will need to be evacuated within a seven-kilometer radius.

Camalig town has the highest number of families residing within the current six-kilometer radius zone, with 2,144 families or 7,827 people across 18 barangays. 

Malilipot town follows with 1,866 families or 7,226 persons, while Daraga has 336 individuals. 

The towns of Guinobatan and Santo Domingo have no communities living within the danger zone.

Tabaco City, meanwhile, has the highest number of families to be evacuated, totaling 378 families or 1,434 people. 

Ligao City follows with 35 families or 132 individuals, while Legazpi City has no communities residing within the permanent danger zone.

Escobar said the provincial government has the capacity to support evacuees for a period of 10 days. Beyond that, the provincial government would seek assistance of the national government, he said.

Norman Laurio, the regional director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), said the department has 50,656 food packs prepared for distribution. 

He said the DSWD central office also has 102,000 food packs that can be tapped if the need arises.

The Department of Education (DepEd) in the Bicol region said at least 39 schools will be utilized as temporary shelters.

Mayor Luistro said there are 290 farmers with crops ready for harvest, covering 27 hectares in Magapo village alone. 

Farmers within the six-kilometer radius danger zone were permitted to harvest their crops to cushion the impact and ensure their families had some income while they seek refuge in temporary shelters, Luistro told Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian during a meeting.

Luistro and other mayors from the affected municipalities called for livelihood support from the national government.

Albay Governor Edcel Greco Lagman said the provincial government would tap the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to provide training opportunities for families currently residing in evacuation centers. 

Cheryl Rebeta, the chief of the Albay Provincial Agriculture Office (APAO), said the government would provide displaced families, especially those in evacuation centers, seeds so they could cultivate crops in backyard gardens.

Gatchalian said the DSWD will assist the people with emergency cash transfers and other interventions, such as cash-for-work programs, with the help of local governments. – Rappler.com