SCHOOL-BOUND. Students in Guinobatan, Albay go to their schools on Wednesday (June 21, 2023) despite being sheltered in different evacuation centers. The Philippine Army (PA) through the 9th Infantry Division started to provide shuttle rides for the learners affected by Mayon Volcano's effusive eruption. (Photo courtesy of 9ID Task Force Sagip)
LEGAZPI CITY – Students affected by the ongoing restiveness of Mayon Volcano are getting help from soldiers as they continue with their studies even while staying in evacuation centers.
The Philippine Army (PA), through the 9th Infantry Division’s Task Force (TF) Sagip, has started to provide shuttle rides for learners who continue to go to school despite being temporarily sheltered in evacuation centers, particularly in Guinobatan town.
In an interview, Lt. Col. Joy Villanueva, TF Sagip operation officer, said to ensure that the schooling of learners is not disrupted, they immediately granted the request of Guinobatan Mayor Paul Chino Garcia for shuttle rides.
"We started Tuesday to bring students from evacuation centers to schools, and we get them in the afternoon and bring them back to evacuation centers. Based on our records, at least 71 high school students in the morning and 55 students in the afternoon were being picked up from and to the evacuation centers," Villanueva said.
He said the TF Sagip is closely coordinating with the Office of Civil Defense-Bicol (OCD-5) and the seven affected local government units (LGUs) to ensure the safety of evacuees.
"This is part of our humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations for the affected families. If other LGUs will also request this kind of assistance, we are ready to provide it. We have military assets to cater to the needs of our students, who need to go to schools," Villanueva said.
He also said the Lucena-based Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) is ready to assist the Bicol Region if additional forces and assets are needed.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is also continuously providing assistance to residents of seven affected localities in the province.
In an interview on Wednesday, Rosiedel Rivero, chapter administrator of PRC-Albay, said the services they have provided include provision of clean drinking water, psychosocial support, hot meals, first aid and distribution of relief goods.
Affected by the ongoing volcanic activities are the towns of Malilipot, Sto. Domingo, Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan and the cities of Tabaco and Ligao.
"The PRC assisted by serving 5,000-10,000 liters of potable water daily. Two tankers go around the different evacuation centers and make sure that evacuees have safe drinking water. Our relief goods consist of two tarpaulins (4mx6m), two blankets, two mosquito nets, two plastic mats (banig), a hygiene kit and two water jugs per family, as priority needs of the evacuees. We already gave more than 1,200 sets," Rivero said.
Aside from relief assistance, the PRC also provided for the psychosocial needs of the evacuees, especially the children.
"Psychosocial support reduces worries and fears of the evacuees. We conducted games and child-friendly space activities in different evacuation centers. We also serve hot meals for them (evacuees), we bring the ingredients and we cook on the site. We also provide first aid on the ground. We have Red Cross 143 volunteers ready to assist them," Rivero said.
She added that the PRC is prepared to assist evacuees and the affected towns in case Mayon's status will be raised by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) from Alert Level 3 to 4.
"We have contingency plans based on the 2018 Mayon Volcano experience. Our PRC chairman Richard Gordon is very hands-on, he is always monitoring the situation. If it worsens, the assistance that the PRC can give is ready," Rivero added.
PRC has recently installed a water tank with a tap stand at the Camalig Bungkaras Evacuation Center (CBEC) that now provides a reliable source of clean drinking water for the internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The OCD-5 said government disaster agencies and affected local government units (LGUs) have spent some PHP73.9 million in assistance for 5,843 families or 20,221 people sheltered in 28 evacuation centers in different parts of Albay since Mayon Volcano started its effusive eruption last June 8.
Gremil Alexis Naz, OCD-5 spokesperson, said various forms of assistance are being provided to the affected population by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Red Cross (PRC), party-list groups, the Tactical Operation Group in Bicol (TOG5), private groups and non-government organizations.
"On our part, OCD-Bicol provided affected LGUs and the provincial government of Albay with 3,200 sacks of rice; 424 boxes of family kits; 1,101 sets of hygiene kits, 380 rolls of 'sakoline' and fuel assistance to the logistic cluster," he said.
Naz added that they have hired siphoning service providers to address comfort room concerns in evacuation centers. (PNA)
