By Alec Go
The Provincial Health Office of Albay declared a “Code Blue Alert” to mobilize more personnel and teams in the province to augment its current resources in response to the activities of the Mayon Volcano.
The declaration through Memorandum No. 11 was released on Thursday, June 8, after Alert Level 3 (increased tendency towards a hazardous eruption) was raised over the volcano.
“Code Blue: This is a response level alert for 50% agency resource mobilization,” portion of the memo read. “This means that teams have been mobilized to augment existing regular day-to-day resources. Likewise, logistics are mobilized to affected areas or to treat patients.”
The declaration directs all local and provincial health facilities and emergency teams in the province to be vigilant and give flash reports.
Meanwhile, the province has already implemented preemptive and mandatory evacuation on around 2,640 families or more than 10,000 individuals within the six-kilometer permanent danger zone.
The provincial government said an additional 4,415 families will be evacuated once the status is raised to Alert Level 4.
The Department of Health in Bicol assured that it is ready to provide evacuation essentials, such as hygiene kits, jails, jerry cans, and cot beds.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said 199 rockfall events and six pyroclastic density currents have been observed from 5:00 a.m. of June 8 to 5:00 a.m. to June 9.
A crater glow is also seen and the volcano’s edifice is inflated.
A total of 332 tonnes a day of sulfur dioxide was also released on June 7, while an 800-meter high plume emission was recorded. – cf
