Huge plumes of smoke are seen as Mayon volcano erupts in Albay Province, the Philippines, Jan. 25, 2018. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)
MANILA, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- A Filipino construction magnate has offered 41 hectares of land in Legazpi City to temporarily house thousands of people displaced by the eruption of the Philippines' most active volcano Mayon, according to local media reported on Tuesday.
Mayon volcano, approximately 330 km southeast of Manila, has been spewing red-hot lava and clouds of ash since January 13.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer, a major Philippine English newspaper, reported that real estate businessman Elizaldy Co, chairman and chief executive officer of Sunwest Group of Companies, has offered to build temporary shelters within his vast land near the scenic boulevard in Legazpi City.
Co is working closely with the Legazpi City local government, the Philippine Red Cross and the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in building the shelters that can accommodate some 50,000 families now housed in various public schools in the city and nearby towns affected by the eruption.
The local government and Co are looking at building tents, and easy-to-build shelters made of GI sheets and tarpaulins in the property.
The report also said Co's foundation is coordinating closely with DSWD for the provision of construction materials and relief goods like rice, noodles, canned goods and hygiene kits.
So far, more than 84,000 residents within the 9-kilometer radius danger zone near the volcano have been forced to flee their homes and now live in more than 70 temporary shelters in six towns and two cities in Albay province.
Legazpi City has about 16,000 evacuees, according to authorities. Most of the temporary shelters are school houses, disputing classes as a result.
Local disaster official Maricel Nocite told Xinhua that during the last eruption in August 2014 the evacuees were forced to stay at an evacuation center for more than four months.