Legazpi City, Albay (Eagle News Service)— Albay residents affected by the evacuation being implemented around the Mayon volcano’s seven to eight kilometer extended danger zone asked that they be allowed to enter their villages just to harvest their vegetables and other crops planted within the danger area.
The residents in barangay Matnog which is within the six-kilometer permanent danger zone seemed more concerned about harvesting their tomatoes and other crops, as they asked authorities to give them a “little consideration” to go back to their villages to harvest the “fruits of their labor.”
Some residents even managed to get back into their villages because of their insistence to harvest their crops and get a little income by selling their vegetables.
Farmer Danny Baranquil, for instance, rued that 15 other co-villagers who are his workers cannot help him harvest his tomatoes because of the soldiers guarding entry points to the danger zone.
Seeming not to worry about his own safety, Baranquil was more concerned about his over-ripe tomatoes which are starting to rot when interviewed by Eagle News Albay correspondent Jorge Hallare.
Other farmers from barangay Mabinit also insisted on harvesting their crops, even as Mayon volcano showed more signs of unrest.
According to the barangay captain of Bgy. Mabinit, Lourdes Nunez, 90 percent of the residents of her barangay are farmers whose only means of livelihood is planting crops within the six-kilometer permanent danger zone around the volcano. (Based on the report of Eagle News correspondent for Albay Jorge Hallare)