DSWD prepares to distribute food aid to Albay evacuees after Mayon eruption

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The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Friday it has started preparations to deliver food assistance to residents in Albay who were evacuated following the moderately explosive eruption of Mayon Volcano.

In a social media post, the DSWD said its Bicol Field Office has prepared ready-to-eat food boxes for evacuees from Barangays Anoling, Sua, and Quirangay in Camalig, Albay. These sites fall within Mayon's six-kilometer permanent danger zone.

"Sa pagtutulungan ng ating mga Angels in Red Vests, maingat na dinispatch ang mga pagkain at magsisilbi ito bilang paunang tulong sa mga pamilyang apektado habang isinasagawa ang assessment sa iba pa nilang pangangailangan," the DSWD said in a statement.

(Through the joint efforts of our Angels in Red Vests, the food items were carefully dispatched to serve as initial assistance to affected families while an assessment of their other needs is ongoing.)

As of 4 p.m., the agency said a total of 417,886 family food packs were on standby for distribution, along with 28,366 non-food items and 14,137 ready-to-eat food packs.

A moderately explosive eruption was observed starting 11:53 a.m. Friday at Mayon Volcano, prompting state volcanogists to raise Alert Level 3 at the site.

PHIVOLCS said the eruption initially generated a grayish plume that rose approximately 3,000 meters above the crater and drifted west-southwest.

The agency advised the public to conduct immediate evacuation within the six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone, exercise increased vigilance against pyroclastic density currents, lahars, and sediment-laden streamflows, and keep their nose and mouth covered in the event of ashfall. — VDV, GMA News