Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian arrives in Albay province on Thursday (January 8) to personally check the situation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to Mayon Volcano’s restiveness.
Upon arriving, the DSWD chief met with Albay 2nd District Rep. Carlos Loria, Albay Governor Noel Rosal, and local chief executives (LCEs) of the province at the Albay Governor’s Guest House in Legazpi City to determine what other assistance is needed by the affected families and individuals.
Secretary Gatchalian is expected to visit the evacuation centers in Albay and facilitate the distribution of family food packs (FFPs) and other relief items.
Joining the meeting were Undersecretary Diana Rose Cajipe and Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG); Asst. Secretary for Regional Operations Paul Ledesma; and Regional Director Norman Laurio of DSWD Field Office 5 – Bicol Region. (YADP)
DSWD chief leads ground assessment in Albay amid preemptive evacuations as Mayon unrest heightens
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian visited the Region 5 (Bicol Region) on Thursday (January 8), to personally assess the situation and oversee government interventions after the unrest of Mayon Volcano was raised to Alert Level 3, prompting preemptive evacuations in affected communities.
The DSWD chief’s visit was in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure prompt, coordinated, and efficient disaster response operations for families displaced due to the ongoing volcanic unrest.
“Pinadala ako ng ating Pangulo, naatasan po tayo ng ating Pangulo to fly to Legazpi, Albay today to assess yung preemptive evacuations na nangyayari, and at the same time, makipag ugnayan sa ating province at sa ating mga local chief executives para we can support them with what they need,” Secretary Gatchalian told local reporters in an ambush interview.
Upon his arrival, Secretary Gatchalian met with Albay 2nd District Rep. Carlos Loria, Albay Governor Noel Rosal and the mayors of affected local government units (LGUs) to discuss additional measures to assist evacuees residing within the 6-kilometer radius permanent danger zone.
As of the latest report, there are 963 families or 3,516 individuals currently staying inside 13 evacuation centers, while 12 families or 39 individuals are temporarily sheltering with their relatives or friends.
Local chief executives (LCEs) of the affected LGUs requested for food assistance, non-food items, and other essential needs, such as livelihood interventions to support the recovery of the affected families.
Secretary Gatchalian emphasized that lessons learned during the 2023 Mayon operations were being applied to the current disaster response, particularly in the food distribution and livelihood support.
The DSWD chief reiterated the Department’s readiness to sustain long-term assistance should the situation escalate, including the continuous provision of family food packs (FFPs), non-food items, cash-for-work (CFW) programs, and cash aid under the emergency cash transfers (ECT) program.
“We’ve sustained it before, we can sustain it now,” Secretary Gatchalian said.
The possible impact on the affected farmers was also discussed during the meeting, with Secretary Gatchalian assuring that affected livelihoods will be supported through CFW.
“Yung cash-for-work namin is hindi short term ha, I remember it can go from as minimum of 1 day to as much as 180 days, I believe if I’m not mistaken, half a year,” Secretary Gatchalian pointed out.
Secretary Gatchalian also emphasized that stockpiling operations were already in place even before Mayon’s increased activity, with 144,000 FFPs prepositioned across warehouses in the Bicol Region.
Additional supplies are also being mobilized to further augment the available relief resources in Albay and nearby areas.
The DSWD continues to closely coordinate with concerned LGUs to ensure that the needs of all affected families are adequately addressed amid the ongoing unrest of Mayon Volcano. (KI)
DSWD chief visits Bicol to check on affected families of Mayon Volcano unrest
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian visits the Bicol Region today (January 8) to oversee the ongoing disaster response operations following the escalating restiveness of Mayon Volcano, with Alert Level 3 being raised by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).
The DSWD chief’s visit aims to ensure that the Department’s response mechanisms are fully activated, resources are readily available and that the assistance provided to affected families is timely and adequate.
Secretary Gatchalian is on his way to Albay province to check the situation of the families who have sought temporary shelter in evacuation centers.
“First domestic trip for 2026 — Albay bound to check on the preemptive evacuations because of the Mayon unrest,” Secretary Rex said in a Facebook post early Thursday (January 08).
Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) stressed that Secretary Gatchalian wants to ensure that the Field Office 5 – Bicol Region is prepared for any eventuality.
“The Secretary is on his way to Bicol para personal na makita kung maayos ang takbo ng disaster response ng DSWD Field Office sa Bicol, tinitingnan kung sapat ang family food packs, operational ang mobile kitchens at water stations, at siguradong ready ang lahat ng resources para sa mga apektadong pamilya,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, said on Thursday (January 08).
Secretary Gatchalian will be holding coordination meetings with provincial governors and city and municipal mayors to assess the situation on the ground, identify the resources needed for augmentation support and strengthen inter-agency and local government response.
The DSWD chief will also oversee the distribution of family food packs (FFPs) and hygiene kits to displaced families inside evacuation centers, according to Asst. Secretary Dumlao.
Among the evacuation centers to be visited by Secretary Gatchalian and other DSWD officials are in the towns of Malilipot, Buang, Tabaco and Camalig in Albay province.
Aside from the food and non-food items (FNFIs), hot meals are also provided through the DSWD’s mobile kitchens. Mobile water stations and mobile command centers have been deployed in various towns and barangays in Albay to ensure the continuous delivery of essential services.
As of January 8, families evacuated from the 6-kilometer radius danger zones are currently staying in the following evacuation centers: San Jose Elementary School in Malilipot; Hiraya Manawari Permanent Alternate Houses in Tabaco City; Buang Covered Court in Barangay Purok in Tabaco City; and Baligang Elementary School in Camalig.
The DSWD’s FO-5 continues its close coordination with concerned local government units (LGUs) and partner agencies to monitor the situation and ensure that assistance remains sufficient for affected families. (KI)
