Authorities are planning to use clowns, along with entertainers and storytellers, to help keep evacuees happy and prevent them from returning to their homes in light of Mayon Volcano‘s impending eruption.

Albay governor Joey Salceda shared that evacuees will need psychosocial care, aside from general necessities such as food, clothing and shelter, especially since the danger of the Mayon eruption is coming during the joyous season of Christmas.

“We need external validation or affirmation on the sacrifices of our evacuees for the temporary breakdown from their normal habitat,” said Salceda in a radio interview.

A significant number of people have refused to evacuate their homes, with some also trying to return to their properties after leaving, because they want to spend Christmas in their natural homes. Some also refuse to leave because of concern for their properties and crops.

Government estimates put the number of possible evacuees to around 9,950 people, with possibly more coming, as more people are evacuated from the eight-kilometer danger zone that Phivolcs has suggested around the Mayon Volcano perimeter.

An eruption from Mayon Volcano is expected to occur within a few days. An alert level 4 has already been issued within the perimeter of Mayon Volcano, signifying that an eruption is imminent.

An alert level of 5 means that an eruption is in progress.

“The probability of survival in an eruption is zero if you are within the area,” concludes Salceda. “There’s no survival in an eruption, no rescue.”

[with references from Inquirer]

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