At least three Mayon Volcano evacuees who fled their homes to safer ground have contracted COVID-19, a local official said on Monday.
Meanwhile, the government has so far released P101.1 million worth of assistance to families affected by Mayon’s continuing unrest.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs) recorded 102 volcanic earthquakes in the past 24 hours.
In a related development, the Ako Bicol party-list spearheaded the construction of a water supply system at a school temporarily converted into an evacuation center in Albay.
Eugene Escobar of the Albay Public Safety and Management Office (APSEMO) said the three evacuees who tested positive for COVID were isolated together with their close contacts.
Escobar gave assurance however, that none of the affected evacuees were in critical condition, and were being closely monitored and given medicines regularly.
A total of 2,242 evacuees have sought medical consultation for cough, colds, fever, sore throat, wounds and bruises, and high blood pressure, among others, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported.
“Doon po sa health surveillance, nakita po na isa sa pinakamataas na bilang ay yung mga sipon, ubo, o yung mga respiratory-related illnesses, again expected natin ito dahil po sa mainit po pero umuulan pa rin dito sa amin, naka-expose din po sila sa environment,” Escobar said.
“Although nasa loob po sila ng mga building, medyo mainit din po kaya isa yun sa dahilan po,” he said.
Escobar also noted that poor ventilation in the evacuation centers could also have caused illnesses among the evacuees.
He noted that there were around 5,700 families or some 20,000 persons in evacuation centers in the province.
Efforts were being exerted bring more drinking water to the evacuees, he said.
The assistance included distilled water, drums, family food packs, kits, tents, financial and fuel assistance, animal feeds, hygiene kits, knapsack sprayer, laminated sacks, modular tents, malongs, nets, rice, sleeping kits and tarpaulins.
Over 10,600 families or 41,482 persons in 26 villages have so far been affected by Mayon’s unrest.
Office of Civil Defense joint information center head, Diego Mariano said the affected families are a combination of those displaced and those not really needing removal from their residence.
The sulfur dioxide emission from the volcano also increased to 925 tons on Sunday from 663 tons the day before.
There was a total of 263 rockfalls, which is also higher compared to 257 rockfalls reported on Sunday, the Philvolcs said.
“Alert Level 3 is maintained over Mayon Volcano, which means that it is currently in a relatively high level of unrest as magma is at the crater and hazardous eruption within weeks or even days is possible,” the agency said.
At least eight dome-collapse pyroclastic density current events were recorded,
Very slow effusion of lava flows were seen along Mi-isi gully extending up to 1.3 kilometers from the crater and along Bonga gully extending up to 1.2 kilometers.
Lava flows were also observed on both gullies within 3.3 kilometers from the crater.
Moderate plumes reaching up to 100 meters were seen from the volcano, drifting in the general west direction.
“Increased vigilance against pyroclastic density currents, lahars and sediment-laden streamflows along channels draining the edifice is also advised,” the Phivolcs said.
One of the group’s nominee in Congress, Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon in a statement cited the importance of having access to clean water during disaster situations.
The Guinobatan Community College, which has nearly 2,000 evacuees, will soon be using the newly constructed water supply system.
Bongalon said although the school has a water pump, it becomes ineffective during power outages in the area. There have been instances when the power outage would last for two days, causing difficulties in the water supply for the evacuees, he added.
“Lack of access to clean water can exacerbate the already difficult situation for the affected communities,” Bongalon said.
“By establishing reliable water sources and infrastructure in the evacuation centers, we aim to alleviate the hardships faced by the evacuees and provide them with a sense of security and comfort. We are committed to ensuring their well-being throughout this crisis,” he noted.
The party-list had earlier finished installation of a level 1 jetmatic pump at San Andres Elementary School, also in Albay, for the benefit of evacuees there.
The elementary school serves as evacuation center for residents of San Fernando and Fidel Surtida.
Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co asserted it is their duty as public servants “to provide immediate assistance to our fellow Bicolanos affected by the eruption of Mayon Volcano.”
“Through the installation of water supply systems in evacuation centers, we aim to ensure that the basic needs of the evacuees, such as access to clean water, are met. We will continue to work tirelessly to ease their burdens during this challenging time,” said Co, chair of the House Committee on Appropriations.
Co maintained that Ako Bicol remained “committed to providing immediate and essential assistance to the affected communities. Through these initiatives, the party list aims to address the water supply challenges faced by the evacuees and ensure their well-being during this challenging time.”