The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has called on quarry companies in Albay province to temporarily stop their operation so as not to endanger the lives of their workers.
In a statement, Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu expressed concern that the quarry companies are putting the lives of their workers in grave danger with their continued operation within the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone around the Mayon Volcano.
“It seems that these companies are more concerned with profits than the welfare of their workers who endure the punishing conditions at the mining sites, amid the volcanic eruption,” Cimatu said.
Cimatu was reacting to reports that quarry workers were still hauling gravel materials within the danger zone despite warnings from concerned DENR officials and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
The DENR’s regional office based in Legazpi City has earlier called on the quarry operators to cease their operation for safety reasons.
According to the DENR chief, an erupting volcano like Mayon could blast ash, lava and solid rocks apart from toxic gases into the air, creating hazards that could lead to serious or fatal injuries or health problems.
“Our primordial concern must be the safety and health of all people affected by the eruption of Mayon Volcano,” Cimatu said.
Cimatu visited Albay last month to check on the air quality conditions of areas affected by the volcanic eruption.
The DENR had recently sent 100,000 facemasks for residents affected by Mayon Volcano.
Image credits: Toto Lozano/ Presidential Photo