PA maintains heightened alert surrounding Mt. Bulusan

News release

PA maintains heightened alert surrounding Mt. Bulusan

By: Bennie A. Recebido

Sorsogon City, March 3, (PIA) – Rescue personnel of the Philippine Army is still on heightened alert due to the continuous restiveness shown by Mt. Bulusan.

903^rd Infantry Brigade Commander Col. Felix J. Castro said following the three volcanic quakes and nine rock fall events felt around Mt. Bulusan on Monday, March 1, the Sorsogon Provincial Disaster Risk Management Office (SPDRMO) coordinated with him prompting him to immediately release heightened alert order to their rescue personnel deployed in the area.

Prior to this, Phivolcs said that confine muddy steam flow occurred, 5:45AM on Monday at the Mombon River in Brgy. San Benon as triggered by the rains which occurred the past two days.

Residents especially farmers although said, the rains until today were advantageous to them specially that it helped washed away the ashes that has almost covered their farmlands during the February 21 ash explosion of Mt. Bulusan, however, they also fear that continuous rains would also trigger lahar flows bringing harm to the lives particularly of those living near valleys and streams.

It can be noted that huge volume of ashfall in Irosin, Juban and Bulan towns have greatly affected the ricefields and vegetable farms, and that, if no rainfall will be observed, ashes will just stick on the plants resulting to a huge loss this coming harvest season.

SPDRMO has also alerted the Municipal DRMOs of Juban and Irosin for the necessary preparations specially that the current weather here in the province is unpredictable.

Meanwhile, Irosin Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer Ghie Martinez said that remaining evacuees at the Gallanosa High School were already allowed to go home on Wednesday last week. However, she gave assurance that anytime unexpected eventualities again occur, and evacuees would go back to the evacuation site, the Local Government of Irosin is prepared. “We have also given the residents proper orientation on what to do not only in case Bulusan Volcano would show activities again but also once lahar flows would yet again be observed. (PIA Sorsogon)