Thousands of children forced to leave their homes by erupting Mayon Volcano are missing out on school and showing signs of psychological distress in cramped and unsanitary evacuation centers, the Save the Children group said Tuesday.
The 28 temporary evacuation shelters, primarily located in schools, are congested and lack proper ventilation for women and small children, further exacerbating the challenges displaced families face, the group said.
“Children are most vulnerable in disasters. Their world has been upended, their sense of stability shattered,” said Alberto Muyot, chief executive officer of Save the Children Philippines.
“Children are experiencing difficulty sleeping due to worries and fears. They are also suffering from respiratory illnesses. Children require specific support, and balancing their immediate requirements with recognizing their long-term needs is imperative. We must act decisively to ensure their emotional well-being remains intact during this challenging period.”
Disaster officials say about 31 percent of 10,000 evacuees within the permanent danger zone are children. They are uprooted from their homes and deprived of their education because schools are used as evacuation centers.
Moreover, the Department of Education (DepEd) says 22,000 students from Albay, Ligao and Tabaco school divisions in Albay province have been affected by Mayon Volcano’s unrest.
Modular instruction is now being implemented and classes will still be conducted until the end of the academic year in July. However, should the situation continue through the new academic year beginning August, the DepEd projects the need to install temporary learning spaces and decongest schools.
After speaking with families in evacuation camps, Save the Children is raising the alarm of urgent and long-term needs of children as the prolonged disruption of children’s daily lives is having a significant impact on their mental and emotional well-being.
In the face of the ongoing volcano’s eruption, we are working swiftly to establish temporary schools,” Muyot said. “These educational sanctuaries will nourish their minds and provide a semblance of normalcy, a lifeline to hope and stability. While we tend to their material needs, our responsibility is to foster an environment that nurtures their resilience, allowing them to weather the storm.”
Save the Children in the Philippines is providing psychosocial support through art intervention activities in three evacuation centers in Camalig, Albay, together with local partner Tarabang para sa Bicol (TABI). These activities aim to provide children with a safe space to express their emotions and cope with the stress caused by the volcanic eruption.
Seismic unrest due to Mayon Volcano continued as 100 volcanic earthquakes were recorded in less than 12 hours on Monday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
Phivolcs recorded the number of volcanic tremors between 5 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday.
The local government of Albay, meanwhile, has created a disaster response help desk to centralize the flow of cash, in-kind donations, and services for evacuees.
In a statement, the local government said the help desk will facilitate support and provisions from national government agencies, non-government organizations, local and international organizations, and private sector agencies.
The help desk will also accommodate inquiries and complaints about the donations.
In other developments:
* The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) delivered more relief assistance to Albay province, consisting of 2,400 food and non-food packs, barely a week after donating 6,000 packs. The donation was received by Albay Gov. Edcel Greco Lagman.
* Rep. Jil Bongalon and Ako Bicol Party List organized the Tarabangan Caravan, a medical mission providing essential health care services to evacuees seeking refuge at San Jose Elementary School and the neighboring barangays.