Evacuees visit cemeteries outside Mayon danger zone

MANILA, Philippines – Evacuees in Albay were allowed to visit the tombs of their relatives in cemeteries located outside Mayon Volcano’s permanent danger zone yesterday.

Maj. Emmanuel Garcia, chief of the Armed Forces 7th Civil Relations Group, said security officials assisted evacuees who trooped to the cemeteries.

Garcia said the nearest cemetery to the danger zone is located in Barangay Pawa in Legazpi town, about eight kilometers away from the volcano.

“Task Force Sagip and the Army’s 901st Infantry Brigade (IB) are helping the Philippine National Police secure people in different cemeteries,” Garcia said in a text message to The STAR on Friday.

He said the members of Task Force Sagip and the 901st IB were also given the opportunity to visit cemeteries or to be with their families. 

“They were divided into two groups. Half of them were allowed to go home to visit their dead relatives and the other half were allowed after the first group returned,” Garcia said adding some of the soldiers did not avail of the privilege and opted to stay. 

More than 14,000 families or about 61,000 individuals from 39 barangays have been affected by the volcano’s abnormal activity.

Of the figure, more than 46,000 persons or about 11,000 families were displaced and are sheltered in 46 evacuation centers.