Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian revealed on Saturday that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is likely to make a visit to the province soon, given the increasing unrest at Mayon Volcano.
Gatchalian emphasized that the President has been closely monitoring the situation and is known for his hands-on approach to governing, particularly during times of calamities.
“The President used to be a local chief executive, and he's very hands-on when it comes to running the government, more so during calamities like this,” he said during a media briefing in Albay.
“So ‘di ako magugulat kung mamaya kaunti makita mo na ‘yung eroplano ng presidente at nandyan na siya,” he added.
The planned visit of President Marcos to Albay on June 14 had to be postponed as a result of the elevation of Alert Level 3 due to Mayon Volcano's activity.
The Presidential Management Staff and the Presidential Security Group instructed the police to prioritize assisting in the evacuation of residents instead.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) stated on Friday morning that the current volcanic activity observed in Mayon Volcano is classified as an eruption.
In response, the local government of Albay declared a state of calamity in the province later that afternoon.
As of Saturday's update at approximately 10 AM, Phivolcs reported that the Mayon Volcano Network recorded a total of 59 instances of rockfalls in the past 24 hours, with 579 recorded since June 1.
