THE government of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) donated rice and other food items for families affected by the restiveness of Mayon Volcano .
Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian personally received the first batch of rice and food donations from Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian and Political Commissar of Dalian Naval Academy, Rear Admiral Su Yinsheng.
The DSWD head assured PRC officials that the donated rice will reach the intended beneficiaries, specifically, the Mayon-affected families in the different evacuation centers in Albay province.
According to the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO), a total of 4,286 families, or 15,241 people, have been forcibly evacuated since the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) raised Alert Level 3 due to the heightened unrest of Mayon.
The affected families are now staying in evacuation centers that include 14 public schools, 10 local government-owned evacuation centers, and other buildings converted into temporary shelters in the cities of Ligao and Tabaco, and the towns of Sto. Domingo, Malilipot, Guinobatan, Camalig and Daraga.
