A Filipina teacher based in China is appealing for help, as her native town is threatened by the ongoing eruption of Mount Mayon, the most active volcano in the Philippines.
Emilyn Navia, a physics teacher who lived in Beijing but now teaching in Kunshan, launched Project Share❤️toMyFellowAlbayanos as she seeks donations and supplies for hundreds of people in three villages in the province of Albay, all inside the 9km danger zone around the volcano.
Navia says she will go home on January 31 (Wed) and bring whatever supplies she will receive from donors in China. She adds that the monetary donations will be used to buy other basic necessities, food, and face masks, which she will give to the local government and other humanitarian response groups for distribution. Navia says she will update the donors via her WeChat moments and regular posts in a Filipino WeChat group.
The volcanic activity in Mount Mayon has since begun two weeks ago, prompting the authorities to declare a state of calamity. The volcano spewed a 3km-high column of ash and other pyroclastic materials that drifted to the southwestern side of Mayon, producing an ash fall that covered villages as far as 6km and forcing the evacuation of more than 75,000 people.
For those interested in sending monetary donations, scan the QR code provided by Navia. For people and companies that want to send supplies directly to the evacuation centers, contact Navia via email (emilynnavia@gmail.com) or WeChat (ladypizika) as she will help you link directly with the Philippine Red Cross and other local government officials.
Photos: Courtesy of Marco Paolo Arroyo, Emilyn Navia, Raffy Tima via GMA News
