BATANGAS will deny home repair funding support for all people residing within the Taal Volcano permanent danger zone, Governor Hermilando I. Mandanas said Thursday.
Mr. Mandanas was speaking at a briefing streamed on social media. He was discussing the forms of aid available, including home repair funds, when he made an exception of residents within the volcano’s danger zone.
“Bibigyan natin hindi lamang pagkain, bibigyan pa rin natin ng cash, para mabilis ang pag re-repair ng bahay. Bibigyan lang natin ng pang repair eh syempre yung mga taong outside of the permanent danger zone. Pag namigay tayo ng cash para sa pagpapagawa ng kanilang bahay ano, ay pag pumutok yan, eh di sira na ulit (We will give out food and cash for speedy home repairs. Of course we will give out home-repair money to those outside the permanent danger zone. If we give out cash for home repairs and the volcano erupts, then these homes will be wrecked again),” Mr. Mandanas said.
Taal’s permanent danger zone includes the entire Volcano Island, according to the website of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
More than 124,000 families in Batangas, Quezon, Laguna and Cavite were affected by the Taal Volcano’s ejection of ash starting Jan. 12, disaster managers said in their daily report.
About 19,000 families are taking temporary shelter in 415 evacuation centers while 60,538 are being served outside these centers, they said.
Taal Volcano continues to emit “white to dirty white steam-laden plumes” which rose as high as 500 meters, Phivolcs said in its 8 a.m. update Thursday.
Sulfur dioxide emissions are currently at levels which are “below instrumental detection.”
Phivolcs also recorded 763 earthquakes since the Jan. 12 eruption, 177 of which were measured at intensities of between 1 and 5.
Taal was downgraded to Alert Level 3 on Jan. 26, signifying a “decreased tendency towards hazardous eruption.” The previous alert level was 4, indicating the possibility of an imminent hazardous eruption.
The Philippine National Police said it is winding down its emergency deployments to the Taal region on President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s orders.
The PNP’s spokesman, Bernard M. Banac, a Brigadier General, said Wednesday in a briefing streamed on social media: “Sila ngayon ay nakabalik na sa ating headquarters dito sa Kampo Krame (The deployed personnel have returned to the Camp Crame headquarters).”
He said the deployed PNP personnel were from the Reactionary Standby Support Force (RSSF), and will undergo medical examination for lung conditions. — Genshen L. Espedido
