ERUPTING MAYON CONQUERS POLITICAL INTERESTS, IDEOLOGIES

ERUPTING MAYON CONQUERS POLITICAL INTERESTS, IDEOLOGIES
By Cet Dematera

LEGAZPI CITY---It takes a lava-spewing, ash-exploding Mayon Volcano in order for political camps to temporarily set aside political interests, and for soldiers and rebels to forego ideologies if only to extend help of whatever form to over 45,000 evacuees.

Probably anticipating visits of politicians and 2010 general election aspirants to the 28 evacuation centers across Albay, Gov. Joey Salceda had declared three days ago the province as an open city, which allows anybody to distribute relief assistance or spread cheers directly to the evacuees.

Three days ago, Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. and running-mate Sen. Mar Roxas were the first aspirants to visit evacuation centers here. They distributed relief goods and cheered with the displaced Mayon residents.

In fact. Lakas-CMD re-electionist Salceda even hosted a lunch for the two opposition bets.

The other day, Partido ng Masang Pilipino standard bearer former president Joseph Estrada and his running-mate Makati mayor Jijomar Binay handed out assorted relief items to the Mayon evacuees in Tabaco City, Malilipot and Sto. Domingo, all areas in Albay's first district, a bailiwick of the Lagmans, who are members of the administration party. Estrada's coming over also coincided with the unannounced blitzkrieg visit of President Arroyo, also to the evacuation sites.

Yesterday, yet two more presidential and a vice-presidential aspirants distributed noche buena food packs as they tried to give assurance of additional help once asked by Albay officials.

Nationalista Party standard-bearer Sen. Manny Villar was accompanied by Albay's Second Dist. Representative Al Francis Bichara in distributing packs for noche buena to the evacuation centers here and in the adjacent Daraga town. Bichara, a former Lakas member had sworn in to Villar's Nationalista Party.

Independent presidential bet Sen. Richard Gordon and running mate Bayani Fernando also distributed relief goods for noche buena in the same evacuation camps visited by Villar, a situation that had nearly ended up with the two bets giving out goods elbow-to-elbow, if not for the quick maneuvering of their aides and local leaders.

At the Albay Central Central School here, for instance, Gordon's group had to wait Villar's party to finish the relief distribution before they had taken their turn.

Earlier this week, senatorial bets as well as party-list groups had started hopping from one evacuation to another to distribute relief items amidst the erupting volcano.

For their part, Greg Bañares, spokesman in Bicol of the National Democratic Front (NDF), told radio interviews here that they had decided to pull out their combat groups in villages around Mayon Volcano to give way for the government troops in assisting the fleeing residents leave the danger zone.

"We removed our combat groups around Mayon purposely to give soldiers way to help the displaced residents, and also to avoid possible armed confrontation that might compromise the civilians," Bañares told radio interviews here in mixed Filipino and Bicol dialect.

He added that they would continue to stay away from the danger zone as long as Mayon is abnormal and the residents are in the evacuation camps.

Capt. Razaleigh Bansawan, spokesman of joint Task Force Mayon, said on the other hand, that they welcome the pronouncement of the rebel group, saying it would avoid confrontation in the danger zone while policemen and soldiers are closely implementing the no-man's land policy around the erupting volcano.

"We welcome such pronouncement. Anyway, at this point, everybody may partake in avoiding loss of lives in this time of natural disaster," Bansawan told radio interviews, apparently in reponse to Bañares' statement.

On Nov.30., administration-bet Gilbert Teodoro had spent sufficient time in visiting relocation sites and evacuation centers here and in Daraga, as he also accompanied Salceda in filing his certificate of candidacy during the first filing day.

Salceda said they welcome anybody to visit evacuation centers, and to give evacuees at least words of comfort so that they would continue to feel a sort pf psycho-social affirmation and ease their discomfort as they stay in temporary shelters. (cet dematera)



MAYON DISPLAYING A DIFFERENT ERUPTION PATTERN
By Cet Dematera

LEGAZPI CITY---A volcanologist based-here who has actually watched Mayon Volcano erupting since 1978, admitted yesterday that the country's most active volcano is gradually showing yet another eruption pattern that is different from those abnormal episodes it displayed in the recent recorded eruptions, which may result to a prolonged explosion-type or less-violent episode.
Alex Baloloy, who has been watching Mayon erupts in close distance for over two decades already, said that the present eruption is dominated by chain of ash explosions, series of high-magnitude quakes and very audible rumblings and boomings, at least three new characteristics that were not displayed by the volcano elaborately during its eruptions in 1978, 1984, 1993, 2000-2001, and 2006.
He recalled that in 1984, Mayon immediately shifted to a very violent eruption phase merely after a few phreatic or ash explosions, so strong that it resulted to the collapse of the crater rim facing Daraga-Legazpi side, now known as the Bunga gully.

In 1993, it spewed the very hot gas, pyroclastic flow silently and almost without abnormal precursors that at least 77 farmers in its upper slopes were incinerated, Baloloy said, adding that even in the 2000-2001 eruption episodes, Mayon merely had at least five ash explosions and immediately proceeded to strombolian-phase, characterized by lava fountaining and small ash explosions ansd pyroclastic flows, then to vulcanian, the most violent eruptive stage dominated by over five-kilometer above the crater cauli-flower like black ash columns and big pyroclastic flows.

The expert said that in 2006, after a series of mild to strong ash explosions, the 8,080-foot volcano quickly shifted to strombolian, proceeded to vulcanian then culminated to strombolian or lava flow that lasted for more than two months, or from August 7 to September 15.

Baloloy said that Mayon continued to have series of ash explosions of up to 50 events until press time, as he cited an example of recorded the series at 7:22 a.m., 7:29, 7:58, 8:01 a.m, 8:02, 8:07, 8:27, 8:29, and 8:47 a.m. He also said that audible, high-magnitude quakes took place at least 124 times until noon yesterday.

"We did not have these eruption characteristics since 1968. It seems that Mayon is again displaying a new eruption pattern," Baloloy said.

Even Phivolcs director Renato Solidum earlier admitted that it is only in this eruption that they raised Mayon's alert level to four even in the absence of big lava fountaining and explosive pyroclastic flows.

"Our raising of Mayon's alert level to four is an anticipation for a violent eruption," Solidum told a press briefing.

Resident volcanologist Ed Laguerta also admitted that Mayon's presently displayed eruption pattern is a bit different than those it showed in the past eruptions.

"In this eruption, we see the strombolian-phase, characterized by ash explosions taking a longer time. Mayon is supposed to have shifted already to a more explosive phase based on its present abnormal signs," Laguerta said.

While the possibility of Mayon's shifting to an explosive eruption is very high, but if it follows the new pattern, Baloloy said that a prolonged ash-explosion-dominated eruption is seen. (cet dematera)