Philippines: Villagers living around Mayon volcano spewing ash, lava moved elsewhere

Santo Domingo. Amid horrifying scenes of ash and lava falling from Mayon volcano in the Philippines, villagers living in nearby areas fled their homes in trucks on Tuesday. About 15,000 people, mainly from poor farming communities, living within a six kilometer radius of the crater of the Mayon volcano in northeastern Albay province were forced to evacuate after the volcano reported activity last week. Albay’s governor on Monday extended the zone by another kilometer and told thousands of residents in the area to be prepared to leave at any moment.

However, many chose to leave the extended danger zone before the mandatory evacuation was ordered. “There’s already lava and ash falling,” said 61-year-old Fidel Banjuela, who was in a Navy truck with his daughter, grandchildren and neighbors. What will we do if the volcano erupts?” All of them were from the village of San Fernando, near Mayon. Fidel’s daughter Sarah Banjuela, 22, said: “Ash and lava are coming out. The lava seems to be getting closer and closer every moment.” Sarah is accompanied by her two-year-old son, whose asthma is exacerbated by the volcanic ash.

The volcanic eruption is the latest natural disaster test for the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Marcos Jr took office in June last year and inherited an economy that had been shattered by the coronavirus pandemic for two years, and that has also seen deepening poverty and unemployment. He has deployed some of his cabinet officers to Albay to help reassure and distribute food aid to displaced villagers.

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