DOH-Bicol hunting more measles patients for immunization
By Rey M. Nasol
DARAGA, Albay – The Department of Health in Bicol region based here is scouting cases of measles in all corners of the region to determine the actual number of cases aside from the reported outbreak in the island province of Masbate.
15 new cases were reported in a latest outbreak in the island province of Masbate and the health authorities are racing with time to prevent further ballooning of its number.
DOH-Bicol regional information officer Jaime Guerrero said that the agency told local health units to search and trace children 9-months old to 59 months old, whom they have missed vaccinating during their routine immunization schedules and have them immunized at once.
The appeal was made as a result of the measles outbreak in the municipality of Mobo and Masbate City.
“A team from the DOH-Center for Health Division (CHD) Bicol had been dispatched to assist local health authorities to combat an on-going measles outbreak in identified areas in the province of Masbate bringing along additional logistics and supplies for mass vaccination of the exposed population,” Dr. Nestor F. Santiago, regional director of DOH-Bicol said Thursday.
The DOH has dispatched 3,000 vials of anti-measles vaccines syringes and Vitamin A capsules as initial logistics assistance for the province. Contents of one vial can vaccinate 18 persons.
Regional Nurse coordinator Nancy Pastrana of the DOH-Bicol’s expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) added that supplemental immunization activities should be undertaken even in those areas without cases yet.
“Whether or not there are cases, health workers are advised to review the immunization status of their target clients and if necessary, to do a house-to-house operation if only to identify those missed children,” Pastrana said.
Pastrana said that chidren should have at least two measles vaccines before they reach the age of 24 months, or subsequently thereafter, to have a higher immunity against the disease.
Dr. Carla Ante-Orozco, head of the Family and Child Health Program Cluster of the DOH-CHD Bicol clarified that of the 57 clinically-confirmed cases detected, 15 were confirmed through laboratory with blood samples. Five of which were from the city of Masbate and the remaining 10 were from Mobo town, but no death was reported so far.
Orozco said that “It is observed that persons affected were among the older-age bracket, most specially the adults, with a median age of 16 years old. Only one case among those below five years old was detected.”
Orozco explained that “87 percent of these adults never had a single dose of anti-measles vaccine during their childhood. Or even if they had, these people did not develop any immunity against the disease.”
Information officer Jaime Guerrero said Thursday that these are the reasons why the DOH had conducted various vaccination campaigns, such as follow-through campaign, mopping-up operations, and booster doses, aside from and after the regular immunizations received by the child before reaching 12 months old.
Guerrero said that these developments highlighted the importance of having children fully immunized upon reaching the age of one year.
Santiago also said that local governments should support the mop-up operations in areas where there are no cases yet to avoid an outbreak. (RMN)
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Albay residents gear for preemptive evacuation anew
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY—-Social welfare officials on Friday readied its stockpile of rice and food items in Albay province should disaster executives order another round of preemptive evacuation after a heavy volume of rain the previous day caused rivers to swell and scientists reiterating their off-limits warning to residents in the danger zones on Mayon Volcano's southeast flank.
Volunteers at the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office targetted 1,000 relief sacks in case of more rains during the remaining three typhoon months of the year.
Relief goods were repackaged with help from police personnel from Camp Simeon Ola in the city who volunteered their help.
“Relief goods equivalent to five kilos of rice are standard packages for emergency help to evacuees to encourage residents to leave their dwellings and be safe from threats of lahar so they could fully cooperate with the province's zero-casualty goals,” said Albay Governor and Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council Chairman Joey Salceda.
“We have recorded a 5.5 millimeter rain volume yesterday (Thursday) morning. Fortunately, the rain slowed down several times, giving a bit of time for the overflowing rivers to subside,” said Cedric Daep, head of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office.
Daep added that the initial result of the monitoring, which started Thursday, revealed river swelling along the Bicol River basin extending from Guinobatan town to Lake Bato traversing Ligao City, and the towns of Oas, Polangui and Libon—-all in Albay .
The ‘Anoling Gully’ facing Camalig cascades its volcanic debris from previous eruptions of Mayon towards the Anoling River passing through Barangay Salugan down to Camalig proper but it overflowed because of high siltation at the back of the PEO-Albay. Clearing of this portion is being taken care of the PEO and the LGU of Camalig.
On the other hand, the Buyuan-Padang River whose origin is the Bonga Gully along the slope of Mayon Volcano is also affecting the road network towards the first district of Albay including the city of Tabaco. Its clearing operation is being undertaken by the regional office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) which is committed to the Albay’s zero-casualty efforts.
Daep said he has fielded a monitoring team to verify other river channels along the volcano's slopes that could cause massive lahar floods in the event of another heavy and continuous downpour.
Provincial Engineer Dante Baclao told Apsemo that Thursday morning's continuous rains dumped a one-kilometer stretch of mud, rubbles, gravel and sand along the Nuyday Avenue, the portion of the main road in Camalig town.
The provincial government spent around P1.2 million, when typhoon 'Santi' along with hazards from Mayon, hit Albay.
There were 14,146 persons or 2,725 families evacuated when the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) declared Albay under Signal Number 2 during during 'Santi's' course in Albay. (RMN)
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY—-Social welfare officials on Friday readied its stockpile of rice and food items in Albay province should disaster executives order another round of preemptive evacuation after a heavy volume of rain the previous day caused rivers to swell and scientists reiterating their off-limits warning to residents in the danger zones on Mayon Volcano's southeast flank.
Volunteers at the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office targetted 1,000 relief sacks in case of more rains during the remaining three typhoon months of the year.
Relief goods were repackaged with help from police personnel from Camp Simeon Ola in the city who volunteered their help.
“Relief goods equivalent to five kilos of rice are standard packages for emergency help to evacuees to encourage residents to leave their dwellings and be safe from threats of lahar so they could fully cooperate with the province's zero-casualty goals,” said Albay Governor and Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council Chairman Joey Salceda.
“We have recorded a 5.5 millimeter rain volume yesterday (Thursday) morning. Fortunately, the rain slowed down several times, giving a bit of time for the overflowing rivers to subside,” said Cedric Daep, head of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office.
Daep added that the initial result of the monitoring, which started Thursday, revealed river swelling along the Bicol River basin extending from Guinobatan town to Lake Bato traversing Ligao City, and the towns of Oas, Polangui and Libon—-all in Albay .
The ‘Anoling Gully’ facing Camalig cascades its volcanic debris from previous eruptions of Mayon towards the Anoling River passing through Barangay Salugan down to Camalig proper but it overflowed because of high siltation at the back of the PEO-Albay. Clearing of this portion is being taken care of the PEO and the LGU of Camalig.
On the other hand, the Buyuan-Padang River whose origin is the Bonga Gully along the slope of Mayon Volcano is also affecting the road network towards the first district of Albay including the city of Tabaco. Its clearing operation is being undertaken by the regional office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) which is committed to the Albay’s zero-casualty efforts.
Daep said he has fielded a monitoring team to verify other river channels along the volcano's slopes that could cause massive lahar floods in the event of another heavy and continuous downpour.
Provincial Engineer Dante Baclao told Apsemo that Thursday morning's continuous rains dumped a one-kilometer stretch of mud, rubbles, gravel and sand along the Nuyday Avenue, the portion of the main road in Camalig town.
The provincial government spent around P1.2 million, when typhoon 'Santi' along with hazards from Mayon, hit Albay.
There were 14,146 persons or 2,725 families evacuated when the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) declared Albay under Signal Number 2 during during 'Santi's' course in Albay. (RMN)
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Adviser seeks palace lift of oil price ceiling
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY – The close economic adviser of President Gloria Arroyo has criticized the oil price free in Luzon area as a pro-rich move and has sought for its reconsideration to save the poor from the overwhelming effects of calamities compounded by the oil price problem in the country.
This move was seconded by militant groups in Bicol such as the Bayan Bicol and the Pinagisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operations Nationwide and the Concerned Drivers and Operations for Reform (Condor-Piston).
Albay gov. Joey Salceda said that he believes the Executive Order 839 or the oil price freeze in Luzon area will not help solve the problem on oil prices in the country.
“Contrary to the common notion, the oil price freeze disproportionately benefits the wealthy families of Forbes, Magallanes and Urdaneta over the welfare of and at the expense of the informal settlers in Tondo, Payatas and Lupang Arenda,” Salceda told this writer.
Using the 2006 (latest) Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES), 82 percent of the savings on fuel, light and water arising from the oil price freeze and a monstrous 90 percent of the savings on transportation and communications are being savored by the rich, particularly those earning over P100,000 per year who hardly needs the assistance of the government for relief from the adverse effects of Pepeng, Ondoy, Ramil, Santi and Tino.
Salceda said that the lower 45 percent income class who earn less than P100,000 annually consumes only 18 percent of total expenditures on fuel, light and water and a measly 10 percent of total expenditures of transportation and communications.
Aggravating the impact on the income distribution are the tax losses of the oil price freeze due to lower prices (12% Reformed Value-Added Tax or RVAT) and losses of oil companies (30 percent on income tax).
“In the case of Petron alone, with 30 percent market share, its projected loss of P1.5billion in the fourth quarter of 2009 from an income of P1.25billion suggests income tax fallout of P1.2billion! Easily, we reckon foregone taxes of at least P4.5billion from the oil price cap,” Salceda said.
Besides, given the expenditure incidence of the national government budget, this would be borne essentially by poor households by way of lower cash flows that could have been earmarked for conditional cash transfers, health programs and scholarships Salceda explained.
Banner programs of PGMA during the oil crisis and the rice price crisis have already proven to work well and accomplish better the intended benefits of EO 839 while avoiding the costs of short-term supply disruptions and long term distortions on resource allocation.
These are: diesel discounts targeted to transportation sector enough to keep fares at pre-crisis levels. This would be cheaper for oil firms shoulder; discounted fuel access cards for lower-to-middle income class families very much like the National Food Authority (NFA) access cards administered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) which the government could also ask the oil firms to underwrite and income transfers to poor families very much like the P500 electricity vouchers.
“The image of the DSWD distributing fuel discount cards to squatters in Payatas who obviously own no cars or the idea of welfare officers dispensing NFA rice access cards to investment bankers in Makati should disturb the nation about the unpleasant realities of EO 839,” Salceda pointed out.
At the very least, it is desirable that the Joint DOE-DOJ (Department of Energy-Department of Justice) review committee should be expanded to include the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and DSWD to bring a broader perspective to its deliberation of the issue.
On the other hand, Tessa Lopez, the regional Public Information Office of the Bayan-Bicol said that the EO 839 has further weakened Arroyo’s popularity because of its senseless effect to the public and bounced back to her sincerity to really help the poor.
“The capitalists are controlling the law on supply and demand. The EO 839 would never really solve the problem and in effect drove the oil firms to divert the supply to areas not covered by the ruling such as Visayas and Mindanao, thereby giving the firms more room for profits while creating artificial shortage in the Luzon areas,” Lopez explained.
“It is good for Ms. Arroyo to advocate for the lifting of the Oil Deregulation Law and regaining Petron’s leverage to the market and thereby boost her popularity if people start to feel the sincerity of her administration,” Lopez added.
“The price control on oil did not really make us feel that the government did something to the prices of oil because instead of lowering the price, we faced the problem of possible shortage of supply, what will you do with your money if there is no fuel to run your vehicle?” Joel Ascutia of the Condor-Piston said on Friday. (Rey M. Nasol)
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY – The close economic adviser of President Gloria Arroyo has criticized the oil price free in Luzon area as a pro-rich move and has sought for its reconsideration to save the poor from the overwhelming effects of calamities compounded by the oil price problem in the country.
This move was seconded by militant groups in Bicol such as the Bayan Bicol and the Pinagisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operations Nationwide and the Concerned Drivers and Operations for Reform (Condor-Piston).
Albay gov. Joey Salceda said that he believes the Executive Order 839 or the oil price freeze in Luzon area will not help solve the problem on oil prices in the country.
“Contrary to the common notion, the oil price freeze disproportionately benefits the wealthy families of Forbes, Magallanes and Urdaneta over the welfare of and at the expense of the informal settlers in Tondo, Payatas and Lupang Arenda,” Salceda told this writer.
Using the 2006 (latest) Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES), 82 percent of the savings on fuel, light and water arising from the oil price freeze and a monstrous 90 percent of the savings on transportation and communications are being savored by the rich, particularly those earning over P100,000 per year who hardly needs the assistance of the government for relief from the adverse effects of Pepeng, Ondoy, Ramil, Santi and Tino.
Salceda said that the lower 45 percent income class who earn less than P100,000 annually consumes only 18 percent of total expenditures on fuel, light and water and a measly 10 percent of total expenditures of transportation and communications.
Aggravating the impact on the income distribution are the tax losses of the oil price freeze due to lower prices (12% Reformed Value-Added Tax or RVAT) and losses of oil companies (30 percent on income tax).
“In the case of Petron alone, with 30 percent market share, its projected loss of P1.5billion in the fourth quarter of 2009 from an income of P1.25billion suggests income tax fallout of P1.2billion! Easily, we reckon foregone taxes of at least P4.5billion from the oil price cap,” Salceda said.
Besides, given the expenditure incidence of the national government budget, this would be borne essentially by poor households by way of lower cash flows that could have been earmarked for conditional cash transfers, health programs and scholarships Salceda explained.
Banner programs of PGMA during the oil crisis and the rice price crisis have already proven to work well and accomplish better the intended benefits of EO 839 while avoiding the costs of short-term supply disruptions and long term distortions on resource allocation.
These are: diesel discounts targeted to transportation sector enough to keep fares at pre-crisis levels. This would be cheaper for oil firms shoulder; discounted fuel access cards for lower-to-middle income class families very much like the National Food Authority (NFA) access cards administered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) which the government could also ask the oil firms to underwrite and income transfers to poor families very much like the P500 electricity vouchers.
“The image of the DSWD distributing fuel discount cards to squatters in Payatas who obviously own no cars or the idea of welfare officers dispensing NFA rice access cards to investment bankers in Makati should disturb the nation about the unpleasant realities of EO 839,” Salceda pointed out.
At the very least, it is desirable that the Joint DOE-DOJ (Department of Energy-Department of Justice) review committee should be expanded to include the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and DSWD to bring a broader perspective to its deliberation of the issue.
On the other hand, Tessa Lopez, the regional Public Information Office of the Bayan-Bicol said that the EO 839 has further weakened Arroyo’s popularity because of its senseless effect to the public and bounced back to her sincerity to really help the poor.
“The capitalists are controlling the law on supply and demand. The EO 839 would never really solve the problem and in effect drove the oil firms to divert the supply to areas not covered by the ruling such as Visayas and Mindanao, thereby giving the firms more room for profits while creating artificial shortage in the Luzon areas,” Lopez explained.
“It is good for Ms. Arroyo to advocate for the lifting of the Oil Deregulation Law and regaining Petron’s leverage to the market and thereby boost her popularity if people start to feel the sincerity of her administration,” Lopez added.
“The price control on oil did not really make us feel that the government did something to the prices of oil because instead of lowering the price, we faced the problem of possible shortage of supply, what will you do with your money if there is no fuel to run your vehicle?” Joel Ascutia of the Condor-Piston said on Friday. (Rey M. Nasol)
Friday, October 23, 2009
Bicol stockpiles rice for typhoon months
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY -- Bicol will have an adequate supply of rice enough for the next three months even if a strong typhoon or Mayon Volcano erupts and sends hundreds of thousands of evacuees to their temporary shelters, particularly in Albay.
A top official of the regional office of the National Food Authority here assured Albay Gov. Joey Salceda and the other provincial governors in Bicol that there is enough supply of rice from October to December this year.
Edgar Ventulan, NFA Bicol regional director, said Friday the agency maintains a rice stock of at least 1.7 million bags of rice ready for disposal in the next three months.
Ventulan said the NFA has a buffer stock, including the 1.15 million bags of imported rice and some 683,000 bags, which were acquired through the agency's rice procurement program.
Among the provinces of the region, Albay has a stock position of 650,382 bags that can last up to 123 days; Camarines Sur with 227,351 good for 44 days; Sorsogon, 99,931 for 67 days; Camarines Norte, 92,722 for 69 days; Masbate, 50,174 for 36 days; and Catanduanes, 30,412 good for 22 days.
He added that some 1.05 bags of palay were also purchased by the NFA from the local farmers under the palay procurement program.
The agency, according to Ventulan, has purchased some 750,673 from Camarines Sur; 127,131 from Albay; 84,979 from Camarines Norte;, 44,638 from Masbate; 40,638 from Sorsogon; and 3,971 from Catanduanes.
Edwin S. Ataiza from the regional supervising grains operations office, said Friday that the daily rice consumption in Bicol is pegged at 42,980 bags while the daily average sale of the agency is around 16,000 bags.
“The 42,980 bags, based on the daily regional consumption, is enough to feed the whole region even if in times of calamities, which makes the stock to last shorter than the time it would take without calamities,” said Ataiza.
He explained that when there is no calamity the same stock (1.7 million) might even stretch to a five-month period because of the participation of private traders.
“When there is no calamity, other people buy their rice from private traders but when there is a calamity, we dispose rice at faster rates because of a memorandum of agreement between the NFA and the local government units, which (tends to) boost the flow of rice from the NFA to the people, particularly those who are affected,” Ataiza said.
Rice importation for this year which is allocated for Bicol is some 2.6 million bags.
The NFA is expecting to import more next year since palay production, according to the Department of Agriculture-Bicol regional office, is expected to go down until the end of this year following several typhoons that wrought havoc to rice plantations in the region.
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY -- Bicol will have an adequate supply of rice enough for the next three months even if a strong typhoon or Mayon Volcano erupts and sends hundreds of thousands of evacuees to their temporary shelters, particularly in Albay.
A top official of the regional office of the National Food Authority here assured Albay Gov. Joey Salceda and the other provincial governors in Bicol that there is enough supply of rice from October to December this year.
Edgar Ventulan, NFA Bicol regional director, said Friday the agency maintains a rice stock of at least 1.7 million bags of rice ready for disposal in the next three months.
Ventulan said the NFA has a buffer stock, including the 1.15 million bags of imported rice and some 683,000 bags, which were acquired through the agency's rice procurement program.
Among the provinces of the region, Albay has a stock position of 650,382 bags that can last up to 123 days; Camarines Sur with 227,351 good for 44 days; Sorsogon, 99,931 for 67 days; Camarines Norte, 92,722 for 69 days; Masbate, 50,174 for 36 days; and Catanduanes, 30,412 good for 22 days.
He added that some 1.05 bags of palay were also purchased by the NFA from the local farmers under the palay procurement program.
The agency, according to Ventulan, has purchased some 750,673 from Camarines Sur; 127,131 from Albay; 84,979 from Camarines Norte;, 44,638 from Masbate; 40,638 from Sorsogon; and 3,971 from Catanduanes.
Edwin S. Ataiza from the regional supervising grains operations office, said Friday that the daily rice consumption in Bicol is pegged at 42,980 bags while the daily average sale of the agency is around 16,000 bags.
“The 42,980 bags, based on the daily regional consumption, is enough to feed the whole region even if in times of calamities, which makes the stock to last shorter than the time it would take without calamities,” said Ataiza.
He explained that when there is no calamity the same stock (1.7 million) might even stretch to a five-month period because of the participation of private traders.
“When there is no calamity, other people buy their rice from private traders but when there is a calamity, we dispose rice at faster rates because of a memorandum of agreement between the NFA and the local government units, which (tends to) boost the flow of rice from the NFA to the people, particularly those who are affected,” Ataiza said.
Rice importation for this year which is allocated for Bicol is some 2.6 million bags.
The NFA is expecting to import more next year since palay production, according to the Department of Agriculture-Bicol regional office, is expected to go down until the end of this year following several typhoons that wrought havoc to rice plantations in the region.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Albay Gov to pursue Doppler radar
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY – Albay governor Joey Salceda who is a zero-casualty advocate is pursuing the Doppler radar installation to fully enable the weather forecasting agencies against devastating rains that occur even in the absence of a typhoon.
“The weather system is so deceiving nowadays and low pressure areas don’t necessarily have its name, fortunately the disaster preparation systems in our province are in place,” Salceda said referring to the community rain gauges coupled with the alertness of barangay disaster councils and the municipal disaster councils.
Salceda said the DCCs and BCCs were quick in responding to the emergency situation Wednesday and the province had attained a zero casualty report.
“We suspended classes in elementary and high school and the Bicol University College of Agriculture and Fisheries (BUCAF) has been cleared for classrooms used as evacuation center for those living at the low lying areas in Guinobatan, Albay,” Salceda said.
There were some 909 persons reported to have been pre-emptively evacuated to BUCAF from Barangay Maguiron.
“We ordered six army trucks to Manito Jamboree site to fetch the stranded school pupils there. The lesson today is that even a Low Pressure Area (LPA) can bring so much rainfall. I suggest that rainfall content be clearly included in PAGASA forecasts and bulletins,” Salceda explained.
“We are again reminded of the need to put up the Doppler radar which costs some P600 million from the Japan Internation Cooperation Agency (JICA) being the source of the grant,” Salceda said.
Salceda said that with the Doppler radar in place somewhere in Catanduanes province, forecasted would have longer (at least 6 hours) lead time to determine the rain content of tropical cyclones and give ample time for disaster authorities to decide and implement the appropriate preventive measures.
The governor said that although rain gauges are good instruments to determine the rainfall rate, it however, do not tell weathermen the amount of rain before it falls.
Salceda said Thursday morning the classes have been resumed in all levels across the province of Albay and that the routes going to Tabaco City from Legazpi as well as those going to Manila were restored after clearing operations of lahar and boulders were immediately conducted in Barangay Padang, Legazpi City and in Camalig town.
The Doppler Radar System will provide the region with early warning both for disaster mitigation and climate change adaptation, said Albay Governor Joey Salceda.
The JICA set aside the total amount of P594,353,777 during a meeting of the Regional Development Council here last May 6, according to Science and Technology Secretary Estrella Alabastro.
Aside from the radar, the fund will be used for other projects under the Comprehensive Partnership in Science and Technology on Climate Change and Countryside Development project, she said.
The Bicol region is battered frequently by typhoons. The Pagasa has warned that at least five more tropical cyclones would enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). (RMN)
Mayon's toxic gas soars back with 1,272 tons a day rate
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY -- Mayon volcano continues to manifest signs of abnormality with very high level of sulfur dioxide emission (SO2) on Wednesday, high and low frequency volcanic quakes, that prompted disaster authorities to strictly enforce the “no entry” rule in designated danger zone areas surrounding the volcano.
Police and military personnel manning the 12 checkpoints along the danger zone at the volcano’s down slope are closely on guard for any human activity inside the designated “no man's land" areas covering the towns of Camalig, Daraga, Sto. Domingo, the cities of Ligao, Tabaco and Legazpi.
Col. Marlou Salazar, commanding officer of the Army's 901st Brigade said earlier that the task force Mayon had prepositioned 35 trucks in case an evacuation order is given by Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) chairman Joey Salceda, once the volcano's alert status is raised to level 3.
Quakes and high level of sulfur dioxide disgorged by Mt. Mayon were clear signs that the volcano continues to be on heightened state of restiveness, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Wednesday.
Phivolcs bulletin on Wednesday said the volcano released 1,272 tons of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) for the past 24 hours monitoring period from Tuesday till Wednesday, which is way above the fluctuating range recorded during the past several days. The said rate of emission is record high during the last two-months observation period.
Gas emission trends from Mayon’s crater showed high unrest with 971 ton per day on the 12th of October, 853 tos per day on Oct. 11 2009, and 505 tons per day on Oct. 10, all are way above the baseline data of only 500 tons per day.
The agency seismic instruments detected only six high and low frequency volcanic earthquakes, bringing the total to 56 quakes recorded since last October 5.
Scientists said the volcano’s abnormality levels are indication of a possible eruptive state.
Phivolcs scientists are continuously observing Mayon volcano's fluctuating seismic precursors such as quakes, gas emission and ground deformation as these are indications that the volcano's seismic activity may possibly lead to an explosive eruption.
Phivolcs advisory said high and low frequency harmonic quakes were detected by seismic instruments, signifying that magma intrusion is developing in the volcano’s crater vent.
Ed Laguerta, Phivolcs resident volcanologist, said the agency seismic networks have recorded about over a hundred earthquakes rocking the volcano this October.
He said the agency is still assessing the abnormal state of the volcano based on given parameters like ground deformation, volcanic quakes and gas emission, and crater glow.
Precise Leveling results indicate the volcano edifice remains inflated at 6.0 mm swelling at the Buang lines while Lidong lines posted a 1.0-mm inflation.
The volcano did not exhibit crater glow due to cloudy sky prevailing in the volcano’s crater.
Alert level 2 remains hoisted over Mayon Volcano and Phivolcs strongly recommended that the 6-km Permanent Danger Zone including the 7-km extended danger zones be off limits to any human activity due to threat from sudden explosions and rockfalls from the upper slopes of the volcano.
Mayon Volcano, famous for its nearly perfect conical shape, has a height of over 2,400 meters.
The volcano, said to be the most active in the country, has erupted at least 50 times since 1616. Its worst eruption buried Cagsawa town and killed 1,200 people in 1814. An eruption in 1993 killed more than 70 farmers.
Mayon erupted again in 2006.
Camping tots stay put at jamboree site
By Rey M. Nasol
CAMALIG, Albay -- The Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council of Albay has declared a ‘code blue’ at a landslide-prone town and has recommended a stop to all camping activities at a jamboree site for very young school children in Manito town.
Governor Joey Salceda told this writer that he has already declared a ‘code blue’ which means people should stay put in their houses and the children were advised not to travel back home to Legazpi and their respective places of origins.
Salceda’s advisory early this morning said, “the organizers are hereby advised to limit activities on camp site and control the movement of pupils.”
Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) director Cedric Daep also told the INQUIRER that he has recommended for a suspension of travel of the affected campers in Manito to avoid river channels and seaboards along the road going back to Legazpi.
Salceda said that the PDCC and the local disaster councils were already advised to execute measures to prevent untoward incident related to low pressure area that has pounded moderate to heavy rains.
“The Municipal Health Office (MHO) of Manito is placed under ‘code blue’ and together with the Provincial Health Office (PHO) are hereby instructed to provide teams on site with standby emergency vehicles,” Salceda said.
Salceda said that he had to see to it that Manito hospital must be in full support to PHO. “Unecessary movement outside camp site is hereby discouraged, DepEd is hereby instructed to put school buildings open as temporary safe shelters.”
Salceda, maintaining a zero casualty plan said the province is in close coordination with Manito MDCC for support and that Manito should be on alert status for the higher vulnerability.
This writer also tried to proceed to Legazpi but roads were impassable particularly in front of the municipal hall of Camalig with roaring sounds and rampaging chocolate-like flood together with boulders at knee deep.
The flood in Camalig has isolated the towns of the third district of Albay that prevented students, workers and travelers going to and from Legazpi City.
The APSEMO is also accounting for related flash flood incidents in Maipon, Guinobatan town and the perennially flooded portion of Barangay Padang in Legazpi City which also isolated the city of Tabaco and the rest of the first district of Albay.
Daep said that for the past 12 hours monitoring, the different rain gauges installed around the province have recorded an average of 7.2 milimeters with peak of 68 mm from 2 am until 9 am. “There were even higher recorded rains in other parts of the province and that the average is 7.2 on our readings but we still have to compare it with the official findings of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa),” Daep said.
Director Bernardo Alejandro of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Bicol has also advised for an evacuation of the camping tots in Manito and added that military trucks were already fielded to assure the safety of the children from their camps to their temporary shelters.
A radio caller sought help of Director Alejandro to safely evacuate five families from Padang area who have fled to St. Calire monastery at the boundary of Sto. Domingo and Legazpi. Said residents are from areas near the spillway which was ravaged by ‘Reming’ in Nov. 30, 2006.
In response to the call, Alejandro assured a rescue team and vehicle to transfer the affected residents at the area to safer ground.
The provincial engineering office has immediately fielded heavy equipment to allow light vehicles to pass trough Camalig area. Motorcycles and small cars were able to traverse the flooded area at around 10:30 am. However rains continue to pound the province posing still undetermined damages to the perennially flooded areas.
Peasant group fears another aggravated rice crisis looming
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY -- The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-Bikol (KMP-Bikol) sounded alarm bells on the alleged looming aggravated rice crisis as agricultural damage caused by Tropical storms Ondoy and Pepeng, have already reached P18 billion.
According to Felix Paz, chairman of KMP-Bikol and concurrent national council member of KMP, “As with last year we are about to experience another round of the aggravated rice crisis but this time climate change has become a very major factor compounded by the fact that it is the government’s policy of massive land use conversion of agricultural lands and crop conversion that has caused this crisis in the first place. From 6 million hectares of Philippine rice lands, now it is just 4 million hectares and still decreasing,”
“The country’s average daily rice requirement is 35,000 metric tons (MT) and initially the Department of Agriculture (DA) said that they will just get from the unaffected provinces but as it is almost all the major rice producing provinces have been affected and now another low pressure area is battering Bicol, Visayas and Mindanao. The so-called buffer stock is good for 60 days but considering the extent of the damage and the need to feed the victims this will fall short of what is needed. This is the reason behind the DA’s move to again import more rice this early, but this is again just last year a band aid solution,” Paz said.
“It is like a slap on the Filipino people’s face that we as an agricultural country is the top rice importer in the world and yet that is our staple. To date we are again to import 250,000 MT of rice but this will also be coming from countries like Thailand, China and Vietnam which are also being ravaged by the same storms, of course when push comes to shove they will of course prioritize the food for their own people, leaving us with little or nothing at all,” the peasant leader said.
“As of now farmers have only harvested 5.7 million metric tons (MT) of rice in the fourth quarter of 2009 or almost 10 percent off the target of 6.4 million MT and with four to five more storms coming our way then we are in for tough times. What must be done now is to strictly enforce the price ceiling on basic goods especially rice and for the long term stop the massive land use conversion and crop conversion policies of the regime. Another aspect is for the government to have a comprehensive climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction plan to prevent one crisis from aggravating another,” Paz added.
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY – Albay governor Joey Salceda who is a zero-casualty advocate is pursuing the Doppler radar installation to fully enable the weather forecasting agencies against devastating rains that occur even in the absence of a typhoon.
“The weather system is so deceiving nowadays and low pressure areas don’t necessarily have its name, fortunately the disaster preparation systems in our province are in place,” Salceda said referring to the community rain gauges coupled with the alertness of barangay disaster councils and the municipal disaster councils.
Salceda said the DCCs and BCCs were quick in responding to the emergency situation Wednesday and the province had attained a zero casualty report.
“We suspended classes in elementary and high school and the Bicol University College of Agriculture and Fisheries (BUCAF) has been cleared for classrooms used as evacuation center for those living at the low lying areas in Guinobatan, Albay,” Salceda said.
There were some 909 persons reported to have been pre-emptively evacuated to BUCAF from Barangay Maguiron.
“We ordered six army trucks to Manito Jamboree site to fetch the stranded school pupils there. The lesson today is that even a Low Pressure Area (LPA) can bring so much rainfall. I suggest that rainfall content be clearly included in PAGASA forecasts and bulletins,” Salceda explained.
“We are again reminded of the need to put up the Doppler radar which costs some P600 million from the Japan Internation Cooperation Agency (JICA) being the source of the grant,” Salceda said.
Salceda said that with the Doppler radar in place somewhere in Catanduanes province, forecasted would have longer (at least 6 hours) lead time to determine the rain content of tropical cyclones and give ample time for disaster authorities to decide and implement the appropriate preventive measures.
The governor said that although rain gauges are good instruments to determine the rainfall rate, it however, do not tell weathermen the amount of rain before it falls.
Salceda said Thursday morning the classes have been resumed in all levels across the province of Albay and that the routes going to Tabaco City from Legazpi as well as those going to Manila were restored after clearing operations of lahar and boulders were immediately conducted in Barangay Padang, Legazpi City and in Camalig town.
The Doppler Radar System will provide the region with early warning both for disaster mitigation and climate change adaptation, said Albay Governor Joey Salceda.
The JICA set aside the total amount of P594,353,777 during a meeting of the Regional Development Council here last May 6, according to Science and Technology Secretary Estrella Alabastro.
Aside from the radar, the fund will be used for other projects under the Comprehensive Partnership in Science and Technology on Climate Change and Countryside Development project, she said.
The Bicol region is battered frequently by typhoons. The Pagasa has warned that at least five more tropical cyclones would enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). (RMN)
Mayon's toxic gas soars back with 1,272 tons a day rate
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY -- Mayon volcano continues to manifest signs of abnormality with very high level of sulfur dioxide emission (SO2) on Wednesday, high and low frequency volcanic quakes, that prompted disaster authorities to strictly enforce the “no entry” rule in designated danger zone areas surrounding the volcano.
Police and military personnel manning the 12 checkpoints along the danger zone at the volcano’s down slope are closely on guard for any human activity inside the designated “no man's land" areas covering the towns of Camalig, Daraga, Sto. Domingo, the cities of Ligao, Tabaco and Legazpi.
Col. Marlou Salazar, commanding officer of the Army's 901st Brigade said earlier that the task force Mayon had prepositioned 35 trucks in case an evacuation order is given by Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) chairman Joey Salceda, once the volcano's alert status is raised to level 3.
Quakes and high level of sulfur dioxide disgorged by Mt. Mayon were clear signs that the volcano continues to be on heightened state of restiveness, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Wednesday.
Phivolcs bulletin on Wednesday said the volcano released 1,272 tons of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) for the past 24 hours monitoring period from Tuesday till Wednesday, which is way above the fluctuating range recorded during the past several days. The said rate of emission is record high during the last two-months observation period.
Gas emission trends from Mayon’s crater showed high unrest with 971 ton per day on the 12th of October, 853 tos per day on Oct. 11 2009, and 505 tons per day on Oct. 10, all are way above the baseline data of only 500 tons per day.
The agency seismic instruments detected only six high and low frequency volcanic earthquakes, bringing the total to 56 quakes recorded since last October 5.
Scientists said the volcano’s abnormality levels are indication of a possible eruptive state.
Phivolcs scientists are continuously observing Mayon volcano's fluctuating seismic precursors such as quakes, gas emission and ground deformation as these are indications that the volcano's seismic activity may possibly lead to an explosive eruption.
Phivolcs advisory said high and low frequency harmonic quakes were detected by seismic instruments, signifying that magma intrusion is developing in the volcano’s crater vent.
Ed Laguerta, Phivolcs resident volcanologist, said the agency seismic networks have recorded about over a hundred earthquakes rocking the volcano this October.
He said the agency is still assessing the abnormal state of the volcano based on given parameters like ground deformation, volcanic quakes and gas emission, and crater glow.
Precise Leveling results indicate the volcano edifice remains inflated at 6.0 mm swelling at the Buang lines while Lidong lines posted a 1.0-mm inflation.
The volcano did not exhibit crater glow due to cloudy sky prevailing in the volcano’s crater.
Alert level 2 remains hoisted over Mayon Volcano and Phivolcs strongly recommended that the 6-km Permanent Danger Zone including the 7-km extended danger zones be off limits to any human activity due to threat from sudden explosions and rockfalls from the upper slopes of the volcano.
Mayon Volcano, famous for its nearly perfect conical shape, has a height of over 2,400 meters.
The volcano, said to be the most active in the country, has erupted at least 50 times since 1616. Its worst eruption buried Cagsawa town and killed 1,200 people in 1814. An eruption in 1993 killed more than 70 farmers.
Mayon erupted again in 2006.
Camping tots stay put at jamboree site
By Rey M. Nasol
CAMALIG, Albay -- The Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council of Albay has declared a ‘code blue’ at a landslide-prone town and has recommended a stop to all camping activities at a jamboree site for very young school children in Manito town.
Governor Joey Salceda told this writer that he has already declared a ‘code blue’ which means people should stay put in their houses and the children were advised not to travel back home to Legazpi and their respective places of origins.
Salceda’s advisory early this morning said, “the organizers are hereby advised to limit activities on camp site and control the movement of pupils.”
Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) director Cedric Daep also told the INQUIRER that he has recommended for a suspension of travel of the affected campers in Manito to avoid river channels and seaboards along the road going back to Legazpi.
Salceda said that the PDCC and the local disaster councils were already advised to execute measures to prevent untoward incident related to low pressure area that has pounded moderate to heavy rains.
“The Municipal Health Office (MHO) of Manito is placed under ‘code blue’ and together with the Provincial Health Office (PHO) are hereby instructed to provide teams on site with standby emergency vehicles,” Salceda said.
Salceda said that he had to see to it that Manito hospital must be in full support to PHO. “Unecessary movement outside camp site is hereby discouraged, DepEd is hereby instructed to put school buildings open as temporary safe shelters.”
Salceda, maintaining a zero casualty plan said the province is in close coordination with Manito MDCC for support and that Manito should be on alert status for the higher vulnerability.
This writer also tried to proceed to Legazpi but roads were impassable particularly in front of the municipal hall of Camalig with roaring sounds and rampaging chocolate-like flood together with boulders at knee deep.
The flood in Camalig has isolated the towns of the third district of Albay that prevented students, workers and travelers going to and from Legazpi City.
The APSEMO is also accounting for related flash flood incidents in Maipon, Guinobatan town and the perennially flooded portion of Barangay Padang in Legazpi City which also isolated the city of Tabaco and the rest of the first district of Albay.
Daep said that for the past 12 hours monitoring, the different rain gauges installed around the province have recorded an average of 7.2 milimeters with peak of 68 mm from 2 am until 9 am. “There were even higher recorded rains in other parts of the province and that the average is 7.2 on our readings but we still have to compare it with the official findings of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa),” Daep said.
Director Bernardo Alejandro of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Bicol has also advised for an evacuation of the camping tots in Manito and added that military trucks were already fielded to assure the safety of the children from their camps to their temporary shelters.
A radio caller sought help of Director Alejandro to safely evacuate five families from Padang area who have fled to St. Calire monastery at the boundary of Sto. Domingo and Legazpi. Said residents are from areas near the spillway which was ravaged by ‘Reming’ in Nov. 30, 2006.
In response to the call, Alejandro assured a rescue team and vehicle to transfer the affected residents at the area to safer ground.
The provincial engineering office has immediately fielded heavy equipment to allow light vehicles to pass trough Camalig area. Motorcycles and small cars were able to traverse the flooded area at around 10:30 am. However rains continue to pound the province posing still undetermined damages to the perennially flooded areas.
Peasant group fears another aggravated rice crisis looming
By Rey M. Nasol
LEGAZPI CITY -- The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-Bikol (KMP-Bikol) sounded alarm bells on the alleged looming aggravated rice crisis as agricultural damage caused by Tropical storms Ondoy and Pepeng, have already reached P18 billion.
According to Felix Paz, chairman of KMP-Bikol and concurrent national council member of KMP, “As with last year we are about to experience another round of the aggravated rice crisis but this time climate change has become a very major factor compounded by the fact that it is the government’s policy of massive land use conversion of agricultural lands and crop conversion that has caused this crisis in the first place. From 6 million hectares of Philippine rice lands, now it is just 4 million hectares and still decreasing,”
“The country’s average daily rice requirement is 35,000 metric tons (MT) and initially the Department of Agriculture (DA) said that they will just get from the unaffected provinces but as it is almost all the major rice producing provinces have been affected and now another low pressure area is battering Bicol, Visayas and Mindanao. The so-called buffer stock is good for 60 days but considering the extent of the damage and the need to feed the victims this will fall short of what is needed. This is the reason behind the DA’s move to again import more rice this early, but this is again just last year a band aid solution,” Paz said.
“It is like a slap on the Filipino people’s face that we as an agricultural country is the top rice importer in the world and yet that is our staple. To date we are again to import 250,000 MT of rice but this will also be coming from countries like Thailand, China and Vietnam which are also being ravaged by the same storms, of course when push comes to shove they will of course prioritize the food for their own people, leaving us with little or nothing at all,” the peasant leader said.
“As of now farmers have only harvested 5.7 million metric tons (MT) of rice in the fourth quarter of 2009 or almost 10 percent off the target of 6.4 million MT and with four to five more storms coming our way then we are in for tough times. What must be done now is to strictly enforce the price ceiling on basic goods especially rice and for the long term stop the massive land use conversion and crop conversion policies of the regime. Another aspect is for the government to have a comprehensive climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction plan to prevent one crisis from aggravating another,” Paz added.
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