SORSOGON CITY, Sorsogon (PIA) – Close to 500 individuals are taking shelter in evacuation centers in this province amid the continued unrest of Mount Bulusan, the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-Bicol) reported after the volcano spewed ash and steam early Sunday morning.
DSWD-Bicol said that as of 6 p.m. Sunday, there were 469 individuals or 145 families staying in three evacuation centers.
Meanwhile, at least 37 individuals from Barangay San Roque evacuated on Saturday but are staying with their relatives or friends, according to Bulusan’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
DSWD-Bicol said that 29 barangays (villages) were severely affected by the steam-driven eruption that occurred at 3:37 a.m. and lasted for 18 minutes.
To date, DSWD Bicol has 24,989 family food packs available at their warehouses across the region. In Sorsogon, it has 1,284 family food packs, Albay, 21,311 family food packs; Catanduanes, 1,000; and Masbate City, 1,394.
The DSWD-Bicol also has a stock of food items (rice, canned goods, 3-in- 1 coffee and cereal drinks) amounting to P5,376,785.18 and non-food items (tents, various kits, , blankets, mosquito nets, folding beds and water containers, among others) amounting to P30,692,585.90.
Meanwhile, an update issued by Phivolcs at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday said the morning’s eruption was felt at Intensity III by residents of Barangay Añog, Juban and at Intensity II in Barangay Inlagadian, Casiguran, all within 5-km of the Bulusan summit.
Rumbling was heard during the eruption by witnesses in Sitio Bagong Barrio, Barangay Santa Lourdes, Barcelona, Barangay Inlagadian and Barangay San Juan, all in Casiguran town; and Barangay Bentuco in Gubat, and Barangays Añog, Calateo, and Puting Sapa in the municipality of Juban.
A brief incandescence at the base of the eruption plume was also reported in Barangay Inlagadian in Casiguran.
Multiple active vents at the summit at daybreak could be observed spewing ash and steam to a height of at least 500 meters before being drifted to the northwest.
The bulletin further said that six vents – the major crater called Blackbird, three explosion pits on the summit, and the lateral vents on the northwest and north sides of the summit – were actively degassing short plumes which entrained ash until at least 9:00 in the morning.
The plumes dispersed into a long veil of ash extending several kilometers to the northwest. This period of “ashing” was accompanied by very weak sporadic volcanic tremor. Degassing of steam-laden plumes continues while the Blackbird Crater generates a thin haze of ash upon the upper northwestern slopes.
Thin ash fall was also observed in the following barangays and municipalities: Casiguran – Cogon, Inlagadian, San Juan, Tulay; Juban – Añog, Aroroy, Bacolod, Buraburan, Calateo, Lajong, Mabini, Puting Sapa, Tublijon; Magallanes - Incarizan, Pili, Sta. Elena, Tula-tula
As of this writing, the volcano continued to spew ashes as observed by the nearby residents. Bulusan Volcano remains at Alert Level 1. (PIA5/Sorsogon)
