RP volcano leaves evacuees living on the edge

RP volcano leaves evacuees living on the edge

LEGASPI, Philippines (AFP): Relief officials scrambled on Sunday to find ways to house and feed some 48,000 people evacuated from villages close to Mayon volcano as lava still trickled from the mountain.

There were no violent explosions on Sunday like the ones late last week when the volcano belched huge plumes of smoke and ash into the air, said Eduardo Laguerta, senior researcher of the government volcano observatory monitoring Mayon.

A thick cloud obscured the crater of the volcano as night fell on Sunday, hiding any activity, but Laguerta said seismic censors showed continued lava flow from its bowels.

"As long as there is lava flow of magma ascending, the potential is always there for an explosion," Laguerta told AFP.

State scientists and volcanologists are monitoring Mayon's movements around the clock, he said, while relief agencies have long prepared for any major eruptions amid defiance by evacuees who insist on going back to their homes near its slopes.

The volcano remains on the highest level of a five-step alert, meaning an eruption is still considered to be taking place.

In the past, Mayon has remained active for one to three months, which volcanologists believe could be the case this time.

The government has largely evacuated some 13 villages within a six to eight kilometer danger zone around the volcano considered to be the most at threat from volcanic mudflow.

The dilemma now is housing and feeding some 48,000 people who have taken refuge in public schools which have been turned into evacuation centers.

So far there have been no deaths from the eruption that began on Thursday. Officials have been unable to confirm local radio reports that two people died in the evacuation centers.

Cedric Daep, the provincial disaster management officer, said: "We are anticipating a prolonged operation: two to three months." He said they will need to spend about 25 million pesos (US$625,000) on food alone for the first month. This is based on a government guideline that says a family of six evacuees should get only about 90 pesos worth of food a day.

Basics will be provided such as rice, noodles and a few canned goods. Items like sugar and coffee are not included, he said.

"The meaning of relief is just what will suffice," he said, adding they would run short if they provided more.

President Joseph Estrada on Friday released some 20 million pesos for relief funds but Daep is certain they will need more within a month.

While food is the largest expense, the 25 million pesos does not even include the cost of potable water, transportation and medicine.

Yolanda Guanzon of the provincial social welfare office, said a major priority was getting clean water containers, particularly huge tanks with faucets, for drinking water.