Culture of dependency worst enemy of Mayon evacuees - Albay gov
12/26/2009 | 09:30 AM
Almost two weeks after evacuation, families fleeing the impending explosion of Mayon Volcano in Albay may face their biggest enemy yet: mendicancy.
Provincial governor Jose Salceda said Saturday that measures need to be taken to keep on their feet and to maintain their dignity amidst the prolonged crisis. It is important that evacuees don't become overly dependent on the government for all their needs.
“This is our 13th day. Baka nag-sink-in na yan, na ang gobyerno magpro-provide. Kaya unang hakbang it is not the government, it is the community that provides. Kailangan namin silang pasukin ng programa para kitain nila," Salceda said in an interview on dzRH radio.
(This is our 13th day of keeping the evacuees in evacuation centers. A culture of mendicancy may have sunk in to some of them, so our first step should be to make clear to them it is not government but the community that provides. We have set up programs to make them earn their keep)
Getting paid to work helps preserve dignity
He said one of the programs is to have the evacuee families work to fix the schools they are staying in. Salceda also said the provincial government allows the mothers to cook food inside the evacuation centers, at least to preserve their dignity.
“Pag alis nila maayos na (Once the families leave the schools the schools are in good condition). They are paid for it. They work for it, they maintain their dignity," he said of the school repair work program.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council’s 7 p.m. Friday report indicated 10,032 families or 47,560 people are now housed in 29 evacuation centers in Camalig, Daraga, Malilipot Sto. Domingo and Guinobatan towns; and Legazpi, Tabaco and Ligao Cities.
NDCC said most of the new evacuees were from Legazpi, Tabaco and Ligao Cities; and Malilipot and Sto. Domingo towns.
Gov't still open to international aid
On the other hand, Salceda said that the government remains open to local and international groups to bring in aid for the evacuees. He also said they continue to work to improve water and sanitation in the evacuation camps.
The provincial government started evacuating families from the danger zone around Mayon, which extends up to 8 km, since state volcanologists raised the alert level there to “3" on Dec. 14.
Last December 20, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised the alert level to “4," meaning a hazardous eruption is due in days.
Mayon still highly active
As of Saturday, Phivolcs said Mayon continued to exhibit a high level of activity during the past 24-hour observation period.
In its 7 a.m. report, Phivolcs said it observed 33 ash explosions with dirty white to brownish ash columns that reached up to 1 km above the summit.
Phivolcs also observed 26 rumbling and two hissing sounds from the volcano, heard at the Lignon Hill Observatory in Legazpi City.
Seismic activity remained elevated as the seismic network recorded a total of 406 volcanic earthquakes.
It added 142 rock fall events related to detachment of lava fragments at the volcano’s upper slopes were also detected.
Flowing lava and rolling incandescent lava fragments were continuously observed at Bonga, Padang and Miisi gullies while sulfur dioxide emission was measured at 8,993 tonnes per day Friday. - JHU/TJD, GMANews.TV
Provincial governor Jose Salceda said Saturday that measures need to be taken to keep on their feet and to maintain their dignity amidst the prolonged crisis. It is important that evacuees don't become overly dependent on the government for all their needs.
“This is our 13th day. Baka nag-sink-in na yan, na ang gobyerno magpro-provide. Kaya unang hakbang it is not the government, it is the community that provides. Kailangan namin silang pasukin ng programa para kitain nila," Salceda said in an interview on dzRH radio.
(This is our 13th day of keeping the evacuees in evacuation centers. A culture of mendicancy may have sunk in to some of them, so our first step should be to make clear to them it is not government but the community that provides. We have set up programs to make them earn their keep)
Getting paid to work helps preserve dignity
He said one of the programs is to have the evacuee families work to fix the schools they are staying in. Salceda also said the provincial government allows the mothers to cook food inside the evacuation centers, at least to preserve their dignity.
“Pag alis nila maayos na (Once the families leave the schools the schools are in good condition). They are paid for it. They work for it, they maintain their dignity," he said of the school repair work program.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council’s 7 p.m. Friday report indicated 10,032 families or 47,560 people are now housed in 29 evacuation centers in Camalig, Daraga, Malilipot Sto. Domingo and Guinobatan towns; and Legazpi, Tabaco and Ligao Cities.
NDCC said most of the new evacuees were from Legazpi, Tabaco and Ligao Cities; and Malilipot and Sto. Domingo towns.
Gov't still open to international aid
On the other hand, Salceda said that the government remains open to local and international groups to bring in aid for the evacuees. He also said they continue to work to improve water and sanitation in the evacuation camps.
The provincial government started evacuating families from the danger zone around Mayon, which extends up to 8 km, since state volcanologists raised the alert level there to “3" on Dec. 14.
Last December 20, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised the alert level to “4," meaning a hazardous eruption is due in days.
Mayon still highly active
As of Saturday, Phivolcs said Mayon continued to exhibit a high level of activity during the past 24-hour observation period.
In its 7 a.m. report, Phivolcs said it observed 33 ash explosions with dirty white to brownish ash columns that reached up to 1 km above the summit.
Phivolcs also observed 26 rumbling and two hissing sounds from the volcano, heard at the Lignon Hill Observatory in Legazpi City.
Seismic activity remained elevated as the seismic network recorded a total of 406 volcanic earthquakes.
It added 142 rock fall events related to detachment of lava fragments at the volcano’s upper slopes were also detected.
Flowing lava and rolling incandescent lava fragments were continuously observed at Bonga, Padang and Miisi gullies while sulfur dioxide emission was measured at 8,993 tonnes per day Friday. - JHU/TJD, GMANews.TV
