PBBM appeals for aid to kids affected by Mayon

LEGAZPI CITY --- President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. expressed concern on the impact of the restive Mayon Volcano to the displaced children and young learners in the province of Albay.

Marcos visited the province on Wednesday, June 14, along with his Cabinet members to personally check on the condition of the evacuees and extend assistance needed by the affected residents and local government units (LGUs).

“Isipin natin ‘yung mga bata. What can we do with them? Maybe DepEd can help us, maybe the NGOs can help us. So that active naman sila doon at hindi lang nag-aantay ng araw-araw na walang ginagawa. That is not a small issue,” Marcos said during the Mayon Volcano situation briefing with national and local officials in the province.

The president led the joint situation briefing of the Regional and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (DRRMCs) where he directed the government agencies and local government units (LGUs) to ensure assistance to the affected population and sectors.

Psychosocial support

For the children, Marcos noted the need to support their psychological and emotional needs and ensure their safety and well-beingwhile staying at the evacuation centers.

President Bongbong Marcos Jr. assured the assistance of the national government to the needs of the local governement and residents affected by the restiveness of the Mayon Volcano as he personally presided the situation briefing in the province of Albay on June 14, 2023. In photos are Albay Gov. Edcel Lagman (left) and PHIVOLCS Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. (right).

“Nung pumunta kami sa evacuation center, andaming bata. Kapag yung mga bata... kailangan marami silang interesting na nakikita, ginagawa. Hindi sila pwedeng naiiwan lang doon. There is a mental health aspect to that na hindi natin dapat kalimutan,” Marcos said.

“May pasok ngayon so we have to think hard, what do we do about the schooling of the children kasi three months, you missed already the half of the year. Maiiwanan, kawawa naman yung mga bata,” he added.

The president then calls on the Department of Education and various non-government organizations and partners for assistance to ensure the welfare of the children.

“I was thinking na we can hold classes for them while they are being evacuated or kung hindi, kahit playschool man lang or something para may ginagawa yung mga bata,” he said.

“Magpatulong tayo sa mga NGOs. We will ask them to come and maybe they can do something. DepEd may continue the classes,” the president added.

Affected learners

As of June 16, 8:00AM, DepEd has recorded a total of 17, 033 affected learners. Of this number, 5, 595 are affected displaced learners enrolled in schools within the 6-7 km danger zones while 11,438 are learners enrolled in schools used as evacuation centers.

A total of 264 classrooms are occupied by the evacuees.

DepEd Albay Division DRRM Officer Alvin Cuz said their DRRM team is continuously monitoring the affected schools in the municipalities of Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan and Malilipot.

Cuz said that all affected schools have activated their contingency plans and implemented preparedness response measures to ensure the safety of the learners. (PIA5/Albay)