The Philippine Army (PA) on Thursday announced that troops from the 9th Infantry Division (9ID) have conducted humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) operations for 15,000 evacuees from 23 barangays due to the ongoing unrest of Mayon Volcano.

These HADR operations took place from June 10 to 14, Army spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a statement.

“During the early volcanic turbulence, the troops of the 9th Civil-Military Operations Battalion steered information dissemination in the communities to forewarn the residents within the 6-km radius permanent danger zone (PDZ) of the volcano, which is stipulated by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). The agency raised Mayon Volcano to Alert Level 3 after a magmatic eruption from the summit dome and increasing rockfall events,” he added.

Trinidad said the 9ID recently activated the Task Force (TF) “Sagip” (rescue) to help the national government in conducting manpower and relief assistance for residents affected by Mayon Volcano’s unrest.

The task force is composed of military personnel from the 31st Infantry Battalion, 49th Infantry Battalion, 2nd Infantry Battalion, 903rd Infantry Brigade, 9th Signal Battalion, Camp Elias Angeles Station Hospital, 9th Service Support Team, Headquarters Service Company, Tactical Operations Group 5, and Naval Forces Southern Luzon.

“In coordination with the Albay Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, the TF Sagip troops helped in evacuating 4,200 families from the municipalities of Camalig, Guinobatan, Ligao, Daraga, Malilipot, Tabaco, and Sto. Domingo, Albay to the 22 evacuation centers. Likewise, the TF Sagip and the Philippine National Police also provided manpower assistance in sorting and hauling a total of 2,000 relief goods, 3,000 bottles of 6-liters mineral water, 1,000 boxes of hygiene kits, 1,000 boxes of sleeping kits from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and GMA Kapuso Foundation,” Trinidad said.

Also, TF Sagip continues to coordinate with the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) – Bicol for the conduct of monitoring and data gathering regarding the updates on Mayon Volcano.

OCD extends additional assistance to Albay

As this developed, OCD extended additional assistance to the local government unit of Albay, providing 3,200 sacks of rice and other relief items for the communities affected by the ongoing unrest of Mayon Volcano.

Albay Governor Edcel Lagman earlier received the supplies from Defense Secretary and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) chairperson Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and OCD administrator and NDRRMC executive director Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno.

OCD previously sent tarpaulin rolls, N-95 face masks, family food packs, hygiene kits, pelican cases, a portable water filtration unit, and a water filtration truck to Albay to assist the affected areas.

From the previous PHP9.2 million cost of assistance, the overall worth of assistance provided by the agency is now at PHP13.6 million.

Teodoro emphasized the need for strengthened cooperation and coordination among government agencies to respond more effectively to the situation. He also commended the smooth coordination between the province of Albay and national government agencies as facilitated by OCD Bicol.

“This arrangement in the coordination of efforts must hasten the provision of relief support and other services to ensure the safety of the affected communities. The DND, OCD, and all members of the NDRRMC will continue to closely work with the provincial government of Albay, ready for any contingency,” Teodoro said.

Meanwhile, Nepomuceno assured that the region will get every support it needs from the government.

“We, together with Secretary Teodoro, had a conversation with our regional counterparts here in Bicol to discuss the situation and the needs of the province. In compliance with President Marcos’ guidance to us at the national level, we will continue to ensure the provision of every support that the province will be needing,” he added.

As this developed, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. urged the local chief executives of Albay to continue working closely with concerned national government agencies, the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and remain on alert to respond to any eventuality.

“Let us all stay on our toes. Maging handa at listo tayo sa anumang puwedeng mangyari para masiguro ang kaligtasan ng ating mga kababayan (Let’s be ready and alert for any emergency to ensure the safety of our fellow Filipinos,” he said in a statement.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology hoisted an Alert Level 3 on Mayon Volcano last Monday, signifying a relatively high level of unrest, with magma at the crater and hazardous eruption possible within days.

Bloodletting drive

Meanwhile, around 150 Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City participated in the bloodletting activity held in celebration of World Blood Donor Day on Wednesday.

This was done in partnership with the Junior Chamber International – Manila (JCI-Manila), GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc. (GMAKFI), and Philippine Red Cross (PRC), AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Enrico Gil Ileto said in a statement Wednesday night.

“With more than 150 participants from the Major Services, General Headquarters & Headquarters Service Command, Joint, Personal and Special and AFP-Wide Service Support Separate Units (AFPWSSUs), a total of 138 blood bags were collected from the General Headquarters which will be stored in the Victoriano Luna Medical Center, Quezon City for the consumption of AFP personnel in need of blood transfusion,” he added.

The AFP Health Service Command (AFPHSC) led the extraction team in Camp Aguinaldo while officers, enlisted personnel, and civilian employees participated as blood donors.

“It is a noble task that the Armed Forces is willing to perform because after all, when we talk about the protection of the people and the state, it is also about saving lives. This is an opportunity for us to show our love to our country, our care to our people, and to value the service that we render to this country,” Civil Relations Service deputy commander and AFP spokesperson, Col. Medel Aguilar said.

The bloodletting activity also took place in venues nationwide with 20 sites in the National Capital Region, SM City Iloilo in Visayas, and Davao Medical School Foundation Hospital and Lim Ket Kai Mall/Centrio Ayala in Mindanao.

With the aim to collect 10,000 blood bags all over the country this year, Juan for All Nationwide Bloodletting Project chair Joshua Aragon extended his appreciation for the AFP’s participation in the project.

“With the help of the AFP, hopefully, we’ll be able to continue to donate blood and we’ll be able to achieve our goal to give love and save lives. Thank you very much for supporting this program,” he said.

Meanwhile, Philippine Red Cross-Quezon City Chapter, Janice Melody Adolfo, expressed her gratitude for the activity.

“We are looking forward to every three or four months in a year that we can do this so blood will be available for all of you. The Philippine Red Cross will always (be) here and our blood bank for the needs of your relatives. We thank you for the partnership,” she said. (PNA)