After nearly four months of staying in temporary shelters due to the heightened activity of Mayon Volcano, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Bicol regional office, assisted in the decampment of more than 2,000  Mayon evacuees on October 6 and 7.

The evacuees were allowed by the Provincial Government of Albay to return to their homes following the continued decrease in the activity of Mayon volcano.

The DSWD Field Office 5 (Bicol Region) assisted in the decampment of 2,106 families from the municipalities of Malilipot, Tabaco, and Camalig.

The returning families received family food packs (FFPs) as take-home assistance from the DSWD FO-5 to ensure that they will have something to eat in their respective houses.

The Bicol regional office also released the 7th wave of food assistance, covering the period of September 25 to October 9, to the affected local government units (LGUs) prior to the decampment of the evacuees.

In addition, the second tranche of the emergency cash transfer will be provided to the affected families, regardless of decampment, as part of the early recovery services of the DSWD, according to Bicol regional office Director Norman Laurio.

DSWD Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications Romel Lopez, who is also the agency’s spokesperson, said there are still 189 families in Camalig who were not allowed to return to their homes due to their proximity to the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone.

“DSWD Field Office 5 will continue to work with the Camalig Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office in monitoring the families who will remain in evacuation centers,” Asst. Sec. Lopez said.

“We are ready to provide them with food and non-food relief items and cash assistance until the situation in Albay becomes better,” the DSWD spokesperson added.

DSWD Bicol has provided a total Php 236,447,614.05 in assistance to some 5,841 affected families, inside and outside evacuation centers, in the seven affected cities and munipalities of Albay province since the start of the evacuation in June. #