Help for Mayon Refugees

Fantastic, beautiful, majestic - simply overwhelming, those are the words that describe the Mayon volcano in the province Albay in the south of the Philippine Island Luzon. As soon as you step outside a building anywere in Legazpi City, the view goes inevitably to the mountain. Tourists see it with different eyes than the natives do. They do not pay attention to the beauty anymore. They see the smoke trail, indicating the next eruption.
This is on of the negative aspects of this miracle of nature. The last eruption in the middle of July 2001 drove the inhabitants, mostly farmers, away from the slopes of Mayon. But the fertile soil makes the people accept the constant danger.
In the event of danger these farmers, also called "indigenous people", flee in schools or similar buildings of Legazpi. Fortunately for the city and its suburbs, Lahar usually pours over the slopes and turned away from the city.

The Barangay Bogtong is one of the nearest, lying next to the river of lava. So this Barangay is always the first place of refuge in the case of an eruption. Certain circumstances force many refugees to live forever in the Puroks of the Barangay Bogtong.
Being a guest of the Barangay Captain Rolando Belbes, one was in excellent company to receive more information as wanted to each aspect of the problem. It was also helpful that Mr. Belbes as A-B-C - president of Legazpi City had an extensive overview of the situation.

After the last eruption of the volcano a "Congressman" of the province gave six cavan of peeled rice as help. These could not be distributed yet, since it was not enough to supply whole Puroks. As every Filipino knows, special care needs to be taken in situations like this.

With the purchase of 7 additional cavans of rice and in cooperation with Mr. Belbes aswell as the responsible persons of the Puroks 6 and 7, we were able to give four kilograms of rice to each of the 70 families of the Purok 7 and two kilograms of rice to each of the 51 families of the Purok 6.
We took into account that the inhabitants of Purok 7 were mainly indigene families of the slopes of the Mayon, who had difficulties to maintain ground in the urban structures Legazpis.

... who would like to beg for something to eat? These feelings are still unknown to the children.

The Barangay Captain explains the distribution procedure and calls up the single families.

The remaining portions were distributed in the course of the next dail, as the inhabitants of other Puroks had gotten knowledge quickly about the donations and as more and more asked for food.

Just after departing the Mayon erupted again.

Explanations:

Barangay:	Quarter (Legazpi town center consists of 70 Barangays)
Purok:	further administrative partitioning of a Barangays (the Barangay Bogtong has 7 Puroks)
A-B-C - president:	The Chairman at meetings of all Barangay Captains of a city
Cavan:	A bag with 50 kg rice
Bag rice:	780 pisos - approx. 12.50 euro