THE AMERICAN government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has committed P5.2 million in emergency assistance for people most affected by the Mayon Volcano eruption, the US Embassy in Manila announced yesterday. USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, in coordination with the Philippine government, will distribute vouchers to families who are still in evacuation centers for the purchase of essential household items and hygiene kits. USAID will also construct latrines, bathing cubicles, and hand-washing stations, as well as promote safe water and hygiene practices through educational materials. As of Feb. 15, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology maintains an alert level 4 and prohibits entry within the eight-kilometer danger zone around the mountain volcano.
