34,000 residents affected by restive volcano in E. Philippines

At least 34,000 residents in eastern Philippine province of Sorsogon, who have been affected by restive Bulusan volcano, are being assisted by the government, a senior official said on Sunday.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma said in an interview with a state-run radio that the government continues to monitor the volcano to ensure that necessary assistance could be extended to the affected residents from 22 villages and five towns in Sorsogon.

So far, he said the Department of Social Welfare and Development has already distributed 200 food packs to two affected towns and about 171-million-peso (3.8-million-U.S. dollar) worth of food packs and fund were on standby.

Mount Bulusan's seismic monitoring network recorded three volcanic earthquakes during the past 24 hours, and traces of ash from the volcano fell on areas in nearby towns, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

Alert Level 1 (abnormal) remains in effect over the volcano, indicating that hydrothermal processes are underway beneath the volcano that may lead to more steam-driven eruptions, it added. Endi