Disaster officials allow Bicol evacuees to go home

Barring any last-minute glitch, families evacuated from flood- and landslide-hit areas in Bicol following heavy rains this week can go home to celebrate the New Year. Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) head Bernardo Alejandro IV made this announcement after conducting an aerial survey of the affected areas Friday morning. "The weather condition now is good. I think we will recommend to Albay Governor Jose Salceda that the evacuation centers can be decamped. There is no more rain. In fact, it's hot here," Alejandro said in an interview aired on dzBB. This week's heavy rains affecting the region triggered floods and landslides. Salceda declared Albay under a state of calamity Thursday, and ordered the evacuation of several families from areas hit by floods and landslides. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)'s 11 a.m. report said that as of 9 a.m. Friday, weather conditions had improved in Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes and Masbate. But the NDRRMC also said some 199 hectares of newly transplanted rice and vegetables in Albay were flooded. This included 174 hectares in Camalig, 15 hectares in Malilipot, and 10 hectares in Manito. Rice and vegetable seeds are ready for distribution in case rehabilitation is required, the NDRRMC said. RDRRMC's Alejandro said their aerial survey showed the landslide-hit areas had been cleared. Even Manito town in Albay, where two people died while crossing a spillway, had also been cleared, he added. Alejandro said a check on areas near Mayon Volcano for a buildup of water and lahar turned up negative. On the other hand, he said there was little damage to agriculture caused by the floods and landslides. On Thursday night, the NDRRMC said some 6,690 families or 32,618 people had been evacuated. It said these included families from landslide-hit areas in Manito, Sto. Domingo, Malilipot and Bacacay towns in Albay; and flood-hit areas in Malilipot and Jovellar towns and Legazpi City. Also among the evacuated residents were 2,132 families or 9,485 people from Daraga town in Albay; and 170 families or 850 people from Camalig town. On the other hand, provincial disaster management officials in Sorogon reported 29 families in Castilla town were affected by flooding but went to relatives and neighbors instead of seeking refuge at evacuation centers. — LBG, GMANews.TV