Chairman Danilo Lim of the Metro Manila Development Authority said the agency will start next week the deployment of emergency response personnel to Albay to assist families affected by the continuous eruption of Mayon Volcano.
In its report submitted to Lim’s office, the MMDA Operations Unit said 23,399 families or 86,052 persons residing in six municipalities were affected by the eruption.
A total of 17,137 families or 64,895 persons are staying at temporary shelters in 58 evacuation centers, while 2,954 families or 12,169 individuals are staying with their relatives and friends in Camalig, Daraga, Guinobatan, Malilipot and Sto. Domingo in Albay, the report added.
In November 2012, the MMDA formed its Rescue Battalion, a unit composed of personnel specially trained and equipped to respond to major disasters and calamities within Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces.
The deployment of volunteers is also in line with the “Adopt an LGU” (local government unit) project of the Metro Manila Council, the MMDA’s governing board and policy-making body.
On Wednesday, Lim and other MMDA officials met Metro Manila mayors at the agency’s main office in Makati City and agreed to assist provincial government units helping the affected residents.
“Local government units’ assistance would be a great help to victims, particularly families who remain at different evacuation centers,” said Lim.
Each LGU committed to send five personnel to Albay aside from the MMDA manpower, he added. “This is a good opportunity to expose emergency responders in this mission.”
Lim said the 17 mayors also agreed to extend financial and relief assistance to the affected victims.
The LGUs have agreed to pool their resources, giving a minimum of P500,000 from each city to assist municipalities in Albay in meeting the needs of their constituents.
Lim said the resources will be coming from the respective disaster risk reduction management funds of the LGUs.
Jose Arturo Garcia Jr., MMDA assistant general manager for planning, said they are targeting the deployment of emergency response personnel next week and will bring along with them relief goods, clothing, medicines, portalets/toilets, and water purifiers.
He added vehicles, including ambulances, fire trucks, and military trucks, will also be dispatched.
Some of the mayors, including Laarni Cayetano of Taguig City and Abigail Binay of Makati City, have started sending relief assistance to LGUs affected by the eruption that began last month.