Albay moving animals out of Mayon danger zone

By Ernie Delgado

LEGAZPI CITY --- Aside from evacuating residents, local authorities are also relocating farm animals from villages within the danger zone of the restive Mayon Volcano.

Local officials involved in disaster management have been instructed to carry out mandatory evacuations of livestock from high-risk areas, according to the Albay Veterinary Office (AVO).

“(There will be) a full implementation of animal hauling,” said Pancho Mella, the chief of AVO.

Mella said that all animals will be documented to ensure that no farmers lose their livestock.

“(There will be) tagging and documentation protocols. Bibigyan po natin sila ng number para hindi magkawalaan (We will provide them with numbers to prevent losses),” he told the Albay Provincial Information Office.

Mella also said that he will deploy personnel to attend to the animals’ health and supply them with feed and water.

He added that barangay authorities have been assigned the responsibility of securing the animals in temporary shelters.

Animal shelters have been established in Malilipot, Camalig, and Tabaco City. In Camalig, a facility for cows, carabaos, swine, goats, and fowls has been set up inside the Albay Breeding Center, according to the Department of Agriculture-Bicol.

Mella said that based on data from 2024, up to 8,779 animals need to be relocated from the permanent danger zone surrounding Mayon, which has a radius of 6 kilometers.

The majority of these at-risk farm animals are located in Camalig, Malilipot, and Tabaco, areas with the highest number of livestock raisers within the danger zone.

For pet owners, the AVO recommends leaving dogs, cats, and other pets with relatives not affected by the volcano’s escalating activity for the time being.

“Huwag iwan ang mga alagang hayop tulad ng aso at pusa (Do not leave pets like dogs and cats),” the AVO said in an advisory, emphasizing the importance of caring for pets during this time.

Alert level 3 has been in effect in the volcano’s danger zone since January 6, following warnings from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology about a potential “hazardous eruption” within weeks or even days. (PIA Bicol/Masbate)