Part 3

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Part 3

February 27, 2000 (Sunday)

Mayon continued to spew lava and molten rocks down the Bonga Gully and volcanologists warned anew of dangers of major eruptions. Alert Level 5 was still in effect.
Rice, medicines, used clothing, clean potable water arrived into cramped evacuation centers from both the government and private sectors in answer to calls for assistance by thousands of refugees in seven towns and Legaspi City displaced by Mayon eruptions.
Camarines Sur Governor Luis Villafuerte led volunteers aboard a long convoy of trucks and vehicles that carried relief goods and other necessities.
A big team of volunteer doctors attended to the evacuees who need immediate medical care.

February 28, 2000 (Monday)

Since the evacuees had to stay for two to three months, the provincial disaster management officer, Cedric Daep, said they would need to spend about 25 million pesos ($625,000.00) on food alone for the first month. This was based on a government guideline that said a family of six evacuees should get only about 90 pesos ($2.25) worth of food a day. This amount does not include the cost of potable water, transportation and medicine.

March 4, 2000 (Saturday)

20,000 Mayon residents from 19 villages in Albay were still threatened by lahar flow.
8 major tributaries around Mayon Volcano were heavily silted with volcanic debris. Heavy downpour could trigger the lahar flows.
Villagers had defied bans on entering the danger zone, checking on their farms and homes during lulls in Mayon's tantrums. Villagers who were forced to flee their homes were now anxious to leave packed evacuation centers as eruptions died down.
Evacuees were living in intolerably crowded conditions, with holes dug behind the classrooms and draped with cardboard or pieces of cloth serving as toilets. Many had to sleep on cold, concrete floors.
To relieve the boredom, a few carried television sets and stereo systems from their homes to the evacuation centers.
Some enterprising storeowners set up small market stalls in the centers.
In Manila, the Department of Labor and Employment announced that it would help displaced villagers find alternative means of livelihood by holding training seminars in evacuation centers.