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'No man’s land' Rule Still Up Over Mayon Volcano - Salceda

Mar S. Arguelles
Saturday, January 9th, 2010

LEGAZPI CITY, Jan. 5 - As Mt. Mayon's seismic activity is gearing up towards normalcy, disaster authorities here are continuing to enforce the "No man's land" rule in designated danger zones surrounding the volcano.

Albay Governor and Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) chairman Joey Salceda directed the Philippine Army (PA) to strictly enforce the ban on any human activity in the permanent danger zone (PDZ).

He directed Army. Col. Marlou Salazar to maintain the nine checkpoints set up around the 2,460-foot volcano and to double their foot patrol inside the danger zones and hold in custody violators of the order.

He also warned foreign and local tourist including tourist guides, news reporters, photographers and farmers not to venture in the designated six-km PDZ and the seven-km extended danger zone in the south quadrant of the volcano despite the lowering of the alert status from level 4 to 3 by the state volcanologist.

The designated danger zones are areas prone to sudden ash explosions, toxics fumes, rock falls and pyroclastic blasts, the state volcanologist said.

Salceda said in 2006 post eruption, the Mabinit lava front was the most sought after tourist point of interest, mostly for picture taking with lava wall as background.

For 2009, the upper Padang-Buyuan lava front took away the spotlight from Mabinit as this lava front is well within the six-km PDZ and there is a significant residual risks from toxic fumes and gases rockfalls and sudden ash explosions.

The PDCC directed the decampment of over 10,000 families that sought refuge in 29 evacuation camps over the weekend in the five towns and three cities surrounding the volcano, following the lowering of the alert level by the state volcanologist.

At least 30 villages near the danger zones were affected by the Mayon seismic restiveness. These are in the towns of Malilipot, Sto. Domingo, Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan, and the cities of Ligao, Tabaco and Legazpi. -Mar S. Arguelles (PNA)