LEGAZPI: Police and soldiers donned Santa hats and red clown noses and belted out songs in crammed evacuation centres in hopes of keeping 47,000 displaced residents from sneaking back to their homes on the slopes of a lava-spilling volcano.

Despite the risk of an imminent explosive eruption of the 8,070-foot Mayon, which has been oozing lava and blasting ash for a week, some residents weary of temporary shelters are conspiring to go back to their abandoned villages for traditional Christmas Eve family gatherings. Others want to retrieve their livestock or harvest crops.

“We are not used to spending Christmas in the evacuation centre,” said Ramon Ayala, 48, whose home lies within a eight-kilometer zone around Mayon that authorities emptied last week when the volcano started rumbling. “We and many others plan to spend Christmas Eve in our homes,” Ayala said. Authorities are determined to make sure it does not happen.

“I have set a very high bar, which is zero casualty,” said Governor Joey Salceda of Albay province in the central Philippines. “If there’s a lull and you step back into the danger zone, you’ll immediately be escorted out.” Mayon volcano has erupted nearly 40 times over 400 years, sending people packing for months at a time. But never has it happened during the most important event in the Philippine calendar - Christmas time, which is associated with family, food, friends and songs.

To keep the blues away, dozens of police officers dressed in Santa hats and clown costumes, crooned songs and led dancing to a popular pop tune in one school. In another area, soldiers handed toys to children.

The government tapped police, army, navy and air force personnel to entertain the evacuees.