P-Noy plans to visit folk near Bulusan

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino is planning to visit the residents near Mt. Bulusan in Sorsogon to check on their situation, Malacañang said yesterday.

“We are studying the situation in Bulusan and the President is planning to visit,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

“He is very much concerned about what’s happening in Bulusan. (His visit) is one of the steps being planned by President Aquino,” Lacierda said.

The restive volcano in Bicol has been spewing ash and authorities are watching out for black smoke to emerge from the volcano as a signal to evacuate residents from the area.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said alert level 1 remains hoisted in the area and advised people residing near valleys and streams to be vigilant against sediment-laden stream flows in the event of heavy and continuous rainfall.

The ashfalls were also reportedly contributing to fish kills in Sorsogon.

Disaster officials are closely watching lahar from Bulusan, fearing that heavy rainfall could wash down some 100,000 cubic meters of volcanic debris deposited on the southwest slopes of the volcano.

Reports said lahar had been observed in river channels in Barangays Cogon and Monbon in Irosin town.