City officials said a total of 489 families, or 1,787 residents, have been evacuated from villages located within the volcano’s six-kilometer permanent danger zone, News.Az reports, citing Xinhua.
The displaced residents are currently housed in designated evacuation centers, as ongoing volcanic activity continues to pose risks to surrounding areas.
Under Philippine law, declaring a state of calamity allows local government units to tap into their quick-response funds and speeds up the release of national disaster assistance to support relief operations and affected residents.
Mayon Volcano has been under Alert Level 3 since January 6, indicating “a high level of volcanic unrest.” According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the volcano has been experiencing episodic mild magmatic eruptions during this period.
