Congress asked to pass law on Mayon’s permanent danger zone

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – As countless residents in communities around the restive Mayon Volcano continue to return into high-risk areas, provincial disaster officials have asked Congress to pass a law declaring a permanent danger zone (PDZ) within a six-kilometer radius from the volcano crater. 

Cedric Daep, chief of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (Apsemo), presented his proposal to the media yesterday after failing to bring up the issue last Thursday before the Congress’ Special Committee for Bicol Rehabilitation and Development (SCBRED).

He said officials were also threshing out a relocation program including providing livelihood for the relocated population, buy-out scheme for private properties and conversion of private properties into other land uses, among other proposals.

Daep admitted that soldiers securing the danger zone were having difficulty preventing residents from going back to their homes to harvest crops or tend to their animals.

He said that because there is no law declaring entry to danger zones illegal, those caught doing so were only sent back to evacuation centers.

“You cannot detain or fine those who would enter the danger zone since there is no law punishing the act. So it’s just like a cat-and-mouse play between our soldiers and these defiant residents,” Daep told The STAR.

He said it is so easy for the residents to evade checkpoints and sneak into danger zones because they know Mayon’s terrain better than anybody else.

Official records show that at least 2,898 families have houses inside the danger zone.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda had earlier said the province would be needing at least P360 million to totally relocate those within the six-kilometer danger zone.

Salceda said that there is no other option but to relocate the residents within the danger zone out of harm’s way every time Mayon is in abnormal condition.

“Besides, Phivolcs recommendation is no residing back for evacuees inside Mayon’s 6PDZ,” Salceda said.

Ed Laguerta, chief volcanologist of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) for Bicol, said Mayon’s being quiet should not make officials and residents let down their guard.

“Mayon remains abnormal despite drop in earthquakes and gas emission due to its sustained surface inflation and magma intrusion towards the crater,” Laguerta said.

In the past 24-hour monitoring of Mayon, Phivolcs recorded two volcanic earthquakes, a rockfall and release of 448 tons of sulfur dioxide.

Meanwhile, Apsemo would not allow evacuees from areas within seven to eight kilometers from Mayon to return to their homes despite pronouncements raised by three congressmen that their evacuation was “premature.”

Albay’s third district Rep. Fernando Gonzales called the evacuation from nine barangays – Maninila, Tandarora in Guinobatan including Barangays Masarawag, Mulabbocad, Doña Tomasa,Baligang, Amtic, Tambo,  Muladbucad Grande and Pequeño in Ligao City – “unnecessary.”

“The Maoraro High School which hosts the evacuees from Barangay Masarawag was not prepared to hold the evacuees despite sufficient time before Alert Level 3 was raised to force 36 families or 140 persons to stay inside one classroom and to sleep on cartons,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales said 252 evacuees from Mulabucad Pequeño who were staying at the Bubulusan evacuation center had inadequate water supply.

AKO Bicol party-list representative Rodel Batocabe said Alert Level 3 only calls for “preparedness” and doesn’t require immediate evacuation.

“So why impose unnecessary hardships and difficulties among our people just to show that we have zero casualty and just to show we are prepared to deal with disaster when in fact they are not even affected,” Batocabe said.

“If they are going to evacuate people who are not covered by the mandatory evacuation by the appropriate government agency like Phivolcs, then there is no reason for the national agencies to continue assisting and funding the evacuation of these people,” he said.

He said he would take responsibility if those allowed to go home are trapped if Mayon suddenly erupts.              – With Celso Amo