As a result, Governor Joey Salceda has placed the entire province under a state of calamity effective noon Thursday, with a specific order to the military and police forces to effect mandatory evacuation in affected areas.

In Sorsogon, 170 families (852 people) were already evacuated.

And the onset of the New Year will be dull and bleak anew for the Albayanos for the second time since last year since weather forecasters said the downpour is expected to batter the province at least until January 1, said Raffy Alejandro, director of the Office of Civil Defense in Bicol region.

“We have already started evacuating people from safer grounds, the priorities are those living in landslide and flash flood prone areas,” said Alejandro in a phone interview.

“We initiated mandatory evacuation since yesterday (Wednesday). As of today (Thursday), we have already evacuated 900 families,” said Cedric Daep, Albay Provincial Disaster Coordinator.

Out of the 3,850 persons reported displaced, Alejandro said most of the evacuees came from the towns of Manito, Sto. Domingo, and Bacacay and some parts of Legazpi City, especially those living in low-lying areas of Albay’s capital.

“We have set up 10 evacuation centers so far, most of the evacuees are currently living with their relatives. But we are ready for any eventuality,” said Alejandro.

But Daep said the mandatory evacuation continues, with several military trucks and vehicles from the provincial government deployed in affected areas, especially in the worst-hit town of Manito.

Senior Superintendent William Macavinta, director of the Albay Provincial Police Office, said the cadavers of the two persons missing on Wednesday were already recovered Thursday morning.

He identified the two fatalities as 80-year old Lolita Dadap and her 50-year old son Antonio, both residents of Barangay Nagotgot in Manito town.

“They were crossing the spillway on Wednesday afternoon when they were carried away by strong flood water. They were actually on their way to the nearest evacuation center,” said Macavinta in a separate phone interview.

A report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center (NDRRMC) in Camp Aguinaldo revealed that a total of 332 families or 1,852 persons were either affected or evacuated in six barangays of Manito town.

A total of 64 families or 334 persons were also affected in two barangays in Sto. Domingo town and 55 families or 287 others in three barangays in Malilipot. Bacacay town was also experienced flooding with 160 families or 834 persons either displaced or affected in two barangays.

A total of 111 persons were also reported affected in two barangays in the town of Jovellar.

“Landslides temporarily rendered Barangay Tinapian (Manito town) impassable... seven more barangays were also rendered impassable due to spillway overflow in Barangay Casay (also in Manito),” the NDRRMC report read.

“There were reported flooding here in Legazpi City but the roads are still passable,” said Macavinta for his part.

In Sorsogon, the main roads seven barangays in Casiguran town – Rizal, San Pascual, Santa Cruz, Burgos, Tiris, Casay, and Inlagadian – are now impassable due to spillway overflow in Casay.

State of calamity

Daep said the declaration of state of calamity in the entire Albay province means that they could implement some emergency measures for the safety of the local populace such as forced evacuation.

“We can also make use of other funds or appropriations from the provincial government to augment our calamity fund,” said Daep.

Daep said they could also seek help from the national government and the international community.

No lahar threat

The calamity that struck Albay served as a double-whammy for the Albayanos, having been swept with ash falls when Mayon Volcano rumbled last year. Thousands of families were forced to spend their Christmas noche buena and New Year’s media noche at the evacuation centers as a result.

Salceda immediately called up an emergency meeting with representatives from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) over fears of lahar as a result of last year’s Mayon eruption.

During the meeting, Alejadro said volcano experts assured that lahar would be unlikely amid the heavy downpour.

“They told us that the ash deposits on the slopes of Mayon from last year’s eruption were already gone so there is no threat of lahar flow,” said Alejandro.

Daep, for his part, said PAGASA representatives told them that there is no weather disturbance in Bicol area, stressing that the rains were just a result of the tail end of the cold front affecting the region.

Aaron Recuenco, Manila Bulletin