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24 Rice TodayOctober-December 2006 Rice TodayOctober-December 2006Rice TodayOctober-December 200624

RICEin harms way

O

n 24-28 July 2006, intrepid IRRI photographersAriel Javellana and Jose Raymond Panaliganbraved the area around the base of Mayonvolcano, in Bicol, Philippines (see map,

right). Mayon, famous for its near-perfect conical

shape, began showing increased volcanic activityin mid-July (see centerfold on pages 26-27). Theactivity continued throughout August and, as

Rice Today went to press, the Philippine Institute

of Volcanology and Seismology was maintainingan 8-km danger zone and recorded the volcanosstatus at alert level 4, which corresponds to ahigh probability for a hazardous eruption.

Although a boon to our photographers, the

volcano has the capacity to cause gre at hardship forthe surrounding rice-farming communities. Asidefrom causing danger to life and limb, lava, ash falls,and pyroclastic flowsfast-moving mixtures of hot

gas, rocks, and ash that travel quickly down themountaincan also damage or destroy crops, housing,and infrastructure. Presented here are some images ofMayon volcano and the people who live in its shadow.

Clockwise from main photo (left): Steaming lava on the mountainside in Barangay Tagas, Daraga,

Albay Province; a woman protects herself from the sunand ashin Bonga Gully; 57-year-old rice

farmer Sofroneo Rodriguezwhose farm was damaged in Mayons 1984 eruptionsought refuge

with his family in the Sitio Bical evacuation center; Rodriguezs granddaughter occupies herself at

Sitio Bical; Rodriguezs son, who takes turns with other family members to return to the farm each

night to guard against looters and thieves; lava creeps toward the bell tower of the old Cagsawa

churchone of the only structures remaining above the lava that buried Cagsawa town in the

1814 Mayon eruption, which killed more than 1,000 people.

Rice TodayOctober-December 2006

Bicol Region, Luzon Island,Philippines

PhilippineSea

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26 Rice TodayOctober-December 2006 Rice TodayOctober-December 2006

Rice TodayOctober-December 2006, Vol. 5, No. 4

ArielJavellana

Rice fields at the edge of Mayon volcanos 8-km danger zone, near Legaspi City in the Philippines Bicol Re