The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is leading disaster-response agencies in conducting a “humanitarian caravan” to help people who were forced to leave their communities in Albay province after Mayon volcano spewed ash and lava starting January. The fleet is expected to arrive in Guinobatan town on Wednesday. The DSWD is targeting the delivery of 458,250 food packs to Albay. On Tuesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said it could not yet lower the alert status hoisted over Mayon despite the seeming calmness shown by the volcano in recent days. Paul Alanis, Phivolcs science and research specialist, said deflation on the lower slopes of the volcano was recorded by instruments since Feb. 20, but “bulging” was consistently observed on the upper slopes, near the crater summit.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer February 27, 2018 21:22 UTC