“Unspent resources should support relocation outside danger zones. But livelihoods can’t simply be uprooted, so authorities must guarantee access between new sites and work. Without that, people will return."

ALBAY — Every few years, Mayon Volcano roars back to life, driving thousands of families from their homes. Relief trucks arrive, schools turn into evacuation centers, and the familiar rhythm of displacement begins again.

Behind this humanitarian challenge lies a quieter story: the numbers.

How much does Albay spend to keep its people safe, and why does the cycle repeat, eruption after eruption?

Adequacy of local disaster fund

In 2023, roughly 39,000 residents were affected as lava and ash threatened communities. Commission on Audit records show Albay spent P25.71 million ($435,000) from its Quick Response Fund for evacuation needs. Spread across 20,336 evacuees, that amounted to about P1,267 ($21.50) per person for food, water, medical supplies, and shelter.

National agencies stepped in: the Department of Social Welfare and Development released P64.5 million ($1.09 million) in emergency cash transfers, while the Department of Labor and Employment provided P50 million ($847,000) in emergency employment. The aid eased household expenses but was only a short?term fix, allotting equal amounts to families regardless of size.

The provincial government declared a state of calamity and requested P166.7 million ($2.83 million) in augmentation funds to sustain evacuees for 90 days. This raises the question: are local disaster budgets realistically sized for recurring hazards like Mayon’s eruptions?

Preparedness vs relief

The gap is clear when relief spending is compared with long-term preparedness.

In 2023, Albay spent P32.34 million ($548,000) on daily disaster operations but only P803,000 ($13,610) of the P43 million ($729,000) capital outlay for projects like evacuation centers and stronger housing. Of P348.30 million ($5.91 million) available, more than P225 million ($3.81 million) remained unutilized.

By law, 30 percent of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF) goes to QRF, which can be spent upon declaration of state of calamity,  while 70 percent is meant for preparedness.

Across the Philippines, LGUs often prioritize immediate response because eruptions, typhoons, and floods demand urgent action. The consequence is a cycle of reactive spending: families return to vulnerable homes after each eruption, only to be evacuated again when Mayon stirs.

The unspent millions show that funding exists, but the problem seems to lie partly in the LGU’s short?sightedness.

LGUs can spend MOOE throughout the year for operations, and capital outlay once projects are ready for implementation. Yet most of the mitigation fund stayed untouched.

“Ideally, non-QRF should be utilized to lessen the impacts of any hazard. But that is not what’s happening in most provinces, including Albay,” Lei Talaguit, Tarabangan Bicol Early Warning and Anticipatory Action lead, told Bulatlat in a Zoom interview.

He said Albay’s utilization rates in 2018 and 2023 were only 0.8 to 1.9 percent, which are glaringly low.

Stuck in response mode

“Pre?emptive evacuations, camp coordination, and camp management are not even the bare minimum under the law,” Talaguit said. While necessary, their repeated use despite unutilized funds shows the country remains stuck in a response mindset instead of preparedness. This, he added, was why the national government in 2010 replaced the National Disaster Coordinating Council with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

The ongoing 2026 eruption again exposes the gap. Displaced families voiced fears of prolonged displacement. As BicoldotPH reported: “We sleep on cardboard and mats; it’s tough for seniors like us,” said Azucena Bolaños. Others described cramped spaces and the heartbreak of leaving behind crops and livestock. Schools doubling as shelters disrupted classes.

This pattern is not new. In 2014, Albay used P18.57 million ($315,000) from QRF while P78.34 million ($1.33 million) of its LDRRMF was left unused. In 2018, P27.58 million ($467,000) was spent, with P129.43 million ($2.19 million) unspent.

Bulatlat requested the LDRRMF Annual Investment Plan from the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) but has yet to release it pending approval.

Talaguit said unused funds could support localized early warning systems, evacuation centers, rescue equipment, risk?informed engineering structures, and even nature?based solutions that sustain livelihoods. Such measures, he added, would help farmers reduce losses through storage facilities for early harvests, while evacuees would feel safe and dignified in proper shelters.

Breaking the cycle

“Unspent resources should support relocation outside danger zones. But livelihoods can’t simply be uprooted, so authorities must guarantee access between new sites and work. Without that, people will return,” Talaguit said.

He noted that Albay benefited from a qualified DRRM head who established early warning and prevention systems. Yet these strengths have not translated into concrete mitigation across the province.

Mitigation takes time but is achievable, he said, especially if politicians move beyond short?term thinking and commit to continuous risk assessments and long?term gains. “The challenge now is in reshaping the mindsets of both communities and leaders.”

The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s latest Global Assessment Report finds disaster costs now reach $202 billion (P11.93 trillion) annually. It stresses that prevention is a far better investment, with studies showing every $1 spent on risk reduction averts about $15 in future recovery costs.

Each eruption forces massive reallocations, spikes in relief spending, and reliance on national augmentation, while COA audits record the cycle.

The question remains: will Albay, and the Philippines, keep paying the same recurring costs, or finally invest in breaking the cycle? (RTS, RVO)

Note: Local Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Fund (LDRRMF) are multi?hazard and not Mayon?specific, although this analysis selected years when Mayon eruptions were the province’s primary calamity.

The post Eruption after eruption, Albay’s disaster funding never breaks the cycle appeared first on Bulatlat.

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