DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

• As of the end of year 2009, nearly 50,000 Albayano villagers were anticipating to  spend the first few months of 2010 in evacuation centers amid concerns that the Mayon volcano will erupt. The chief government volcanologist, Renato Solidum, warned on December 31 that although Mayon appeared to be in a lull after two weeks of spectacular lava flows and ash sprays, technical instruments showed a major eruption could occur any time. "The volcano is still active," Solidum told the ABS-CBN television network. "The danger is still there. So currently the alert level is still maintained at level four." Alert-level four means a major eruption could take place within days.                                                                    

The World Bank (WB) recently approved a P7.2 million funding for the establishment of Early Warning System (EWS) in flood and landslide prone areas in Albay.  Manuel Rangasa, Center for Initiative and Research on Climate Change Adaptation (CIRCA) executive director said the EWS, through the use of Geographical Information System and Remote Sensing (GIS/RS),  would be installed in 15 villages across the province recently identified as flood and landslide prone areas during extreme weather events.  Rangasa said the Albay proposal is a component of the provincial disaster risk reduction (DRR) program. Such program was adjudged as UNDP Galing Pook Awardee and the NDCC Kalasag Awardee this year.

 

The project will start next year, but it has initially begun by conducting GIS/RS ground surveys in identified flood and landslide prone areas in the province.  The main objective of this project is to establish a low-cost, fast, effective and community-based EWS for remote communities prone to landslides and flooding.

• As typhoon Santi roared across Luzon, many were forced to evacuate in Daet, Camarines Norte. About 500 persons remained in evacuation centers by mid-morning of October 31. The initial estimated damage to agriculture in Labo was P25 million, while damage to infrastructure was estimated at P15 million.
  (Inquirer.net ,  Oct 31) 

Toward the end of October, the entire province of Albay was placed under Alert and Monitoring status due to the threats of an incoming typhoon and the heightened restiveness of Mayon Volcano. Albay Governor Joey Salceda told the Philippines News Agency October 28, the threats have elevated the risks of combined disasters to the lives of Albayanos, their livelihood and properties.

All municipal and city disaster coordinating councils  convened and reviewed their preemptive evacuation plans and prepared for evacuation. All barangay disaster coordinating councils were also immediately engaged in social preparations to discuss community and household preparedness.

• The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) in Bikol said some P127 million fund is ready to finance payments to farmers across the country whose agriculture produce have been destroyed in the wake of Ondoy and Pepeng. The amount represents the claims or amount covered by farmers who insured their palay and corn crops with the state-run crop insurance firm, said PCIC President Jovy C. Bernabe.

In Bikol, PCIC will pay about P13 million to various farmers hit by the recent natural calamities, according to PCIC OIC-regional manager Corazon SM. Realubit. She  encouraged farmers to have their crops, farm animals and other agricultural investments insured with PCIC because climate change and other natural calamities have made farming riskier than before.
(PNA, Oct. 20)

• A total of P36.77 million has been released by the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF) to some 1,274 members in Bicol who availed of the PAG-IBIG calamity loan program from the region's three provinces hardest hit by typhoon "Ondoy" since last week of September this year. Marietta Britanico, PAG-IBIG branch manager, said the calamity loan program of the agency has since commenced by virtue of Presidential Proclamation 1891, declaring a state of calamity in National Capital Region (NCR) and 27 other provinces in Luzon, including Bicol.

She clarified, however, only members from the provinces of Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Catanduanes - areas declared as calamity-stricken in Bicol, are qualified to avail of the PAG-IBIG calamity loan program.
(PNA, Oct. 12)

• The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office summed up damages to infrastructures as a result of heavy rains brought by typhoon "Pepeng"  in three affected provinces in Bikol at an estimated P 56- Million Pesos.

The DPWH Regional Maintenance Section under Engineer Antonio Saguinsin reported that damages in Albay were placed at P17-Million; partial report for Catanduanes stated around P 5-Million while P 34-Million in Camarines Sur province.  (Vox Bikol, Oct. 8)