Giving Compass' Take:

• Following the eruption of Mount Mayon Volcano in January, the Philippines has worked to conduct the necessary disaster relief services victims require, satellite technology has been essential in coordinating evacuations and food deliveries. 

• How can philanthropy support the infrastructure to address natural disasters? How can philanthropists build support networks before disaster strikes? 

• Learn how funders can prepare for the 2018 hurricane season. 

One Saturday in January, an ash eruption from Mount Mayon Volcano, in the Philippines, sent provincial disaster officials scrambling to evacuate residents within the 6-kilometer radius of the permanent danger zone. Within weeks, after Mayon spewed an ash column 5 kms high, officials placed the entire province under a heightened alert, warning of an imminent hazardous eruption. School and work were suspended, air travel was cancelled, and the ash destroyed an estimated $3 million worth of agricultural crops.

Three months on, and the Philippine government continues to execute a massive relief effort that requires moving nearby residents to safety, temporarily resettling them in evacuation centers, and providing the food and nonfood items they need to survive.

In comparison with previous relief efforts, Philippine government officials, emergency responders, and aid workers today are witnessing substantial progress. Among the improvements are more versatile and reliable satellite communications systems, which have played a critical role in the orderly evacuations of more than 60,000 people and supporting social systems that deliver crucial aid and relief.

“Initially, our problem was the internet access. We could not get sufficient signal required for the operation,” the Office of Civil Defense’s Yucot told Devex. “When DSWD offered to use the satellite communication system, we used it right away.”

Read the full article about Mayon Volcano at Devex International Development.