Duterte gives an initial P20-M to Albay residents affected by Mayon eruption
President Rodrigo Duterte gave help to around 84,000 Mayon evacuees by way of a ₱20-million check.
The President handed it over to Albay Governor Al Francis Bichara during a briefing Monday, as he visited affected residents in the province.
"I am leaving right now, bigay ko na sa provincial government ng Albay, it's 20 million. I understand hard hit ang about 4 or 5 municipalities. For the operation, lahat na, for pagkain [for food]," the President said.
"I will augment that tomorrow and send P50 million for the operation," he added.
"I will augment that tomorrow and send P50 million for the operation," he added.
Duterte said he was also concerned about the sanitation and hygiene in evacuation centers, saying there should be facilities for such.
He raised the idea of setting up portable toilets to evacuation centers and stressed the importance of keeping them clean.
He added health, sanitation, and food are the most pressing concerns of evacuees.
Health officials, the President said, must monitor the health situation of evacuees as children are vulnerable to illnesses.
As of Friday, authorities said more than a thousand evacuees were suffering from coughs and colds, while a number of children were stricken with diarrhea.
Officials also said children, persons with disability, and senior citizens have become the most susceptible to illnesses.
The President also said Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol and Undersecretary Berna Romulo-Puyat are ready to distribute funds for agriculture, as farms have been affected by the eruption.
"If there's a shortfall or something, so let me know so that I can bring the matter to my office, so that somebody can move," he said.
On January 25, Albay Gov. Al Francis Bichara expressed concern that funds meant for Albay were quickly running out, and asked for help from the national government.
Days later, Duterte assured Bichara that funds had been sent.
Mt. Mayon began showing activity on January 13, prompting the provincial government to declare a state of calamity.
The volcano remains under alert level 4, with state volcanologists warning of an imminent hazardous eruption.
On Sunday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology confirmed it spotted lahar or volcanic mudflows in Mi-isi and Budiao channel traversing two towns in Albay.
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