By Rey M. Nasol
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 14:49:00 12/15/2009
Filed Under: Disasters (general), Volcanic activity
LEGAZPI CITY – A task force of Army and police personnel has evacuated a total of 11,981 residents in the two towns of Camalig and Daraga in Albay as of noontime Tuesday since Gov. Joey Salceda's order for the massive evacuation of 47,000 persons as Mayon volcano was under alert level 3 status.
A bulletin from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology during the past 24-hour observation period said glowing lava fragments were seen continuously detaching from the crater of the volcano, which came to rest on the upper and middle slopes, about three kilometers from the summit,
A total of 16 military trucks have been deployed to ferry the affected villagers who were awaiting transfer to temporary shelters, said Capt. Razaleigh Bansawan, spokesman of the 901st Infantry Brigade.
He said the 16 vehicles were evenly distributed to the towns of Camalig, Daraga, Sto. Domingo, Guinobatan, Malilipot and the cities of Ligao, Tabaco and Legazpi.
Joint Task Force Mayon was tasked to assist in the evacuation of the population involved and strictly enforce checkpoints at strategic areas to ensure that nobody enters the danger zone at any time.
Bansawan said that checkpoints are manned by the 2nd Infantry Batallion and 83rd Infantry Battalion along the southeast and western parts of Mayon Volcano, which have been declared a no-man’s-land due to the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone.
A 24-hour curfew will be observed at the danger zones based on recommendation of the PDCC, he added.
Maj. Gen.Ruperto Pabusta, commanding general of the 9th Infantry Division, said additional vehicles will be coming from the headquarters of the division in Pili, Camarines Sur.
He has directed all his infantry brigade commanders to dispatch additional vehicles and personnel to the task force to augment ongoing evacuation in the area.
“People should evacuate themselves to the different designated pick up points so that they could easily be transported towards their respective evacuation camps,” he said.
