PH army activates disaster unit for Mayon operations

THE Philippine Army, through the 9th Infantry “Spear” Division (9ID), has activated its Task Force Sagip amid the increasing unrest at Mayon Volcano.

Photo from 9th Infantry “Spear” Division, Philippine Army Facebook

Col. Xerxes Trinidad, Philippine Army Public Affairs chief, said on Saturday that TF Sagip which is geared toward Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) operations, has coordinated with the Office of Civil Defense 5 (OCD5), Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), and local government agencies in Albay and nearby provinces which may be affected by the ongoing magmatic eruption of Mayon Volcano.

The 9th Civil Military Operations (9CMO) Battalion, 9ID continues to coordinate and make alliances with different sectors, including the 504th Community Defense Center, 5th Regional Community Defense Group for mobilization of the reserve force.

Moreover, Col. Trinidad said the 903rd Infantry Brigade (903rd Inf Bde), which covers the provinces of the 2nd district of Albay, Sorsogon and Masbate, mustered its Emergency Response Team while the 31st Infantry Battalion (31IB), 9ID started to facilitate the mandatory evacuation of residents within the six to eight-kilometer radius danger zone.