The ongoing eruption of Mount Mayon has already displaced more than 81,000 persons, and now the Philippines is bracing for a three-month long emergency.
The 2,462-meter (8,077 feet) volcano, in central Albay province, is expected to continue to spew lava for three months, based on earlier eruptions, disaster management officials said, according to wire agencies.
The danger zone around the volcano has a radius of nine kilometers.
Nearly 70,000 evacuees are housed in schools, while around 12,000 are being houses in tents or staying with relatives. Many of the 69 temporary relief shelters holding those who have fled are already overcrowded. While food supplies are adequate, concerns are rising over health and hygiene.
And not everyone is fleeing. Some residents have refused to leave homes, crops and cattle, but with heavy ash falls, these people may be in danger of respiratory illnesses.