Most Taal-displaced residents in Batangas allowed to go home
Residents from 12 towns and cities in Batangas province have now the option to return to their homes after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Sunday lowered the alert status of Taal Volcano to Level 3.
According to provincial government of Batangas, Alitagtag, Balete, Cuenca, Lemery, Lipa City, Malvar, Mataas na Kahoy, San Nicolas, Sta. Teresita, Taal, Talisay and Tanauan City are now open again.
However, the towns of Agoncillo and Laurel are still on lockdown while the Volcano Island is on permanent lockdown.
Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas said all residents who will return home must be constantly alert and vigilant as the volcano can still erupt.
“Returning residents must be constantly alert and vigilantly ready to evacuate within one hour should alert level be raised again to level 4,” Mandanas said.
The provincial government also reminded residents that lahar could flow when rain comes and there are health hazards due to ashfall.
In a press conference, Mandanas said classes in elementary and high school are still suspended.
“It will remain closed until further notice… reason is even the teachers evacuated… the schools are being used by 5,000 evacuees until last night,” he said.
“College and universities outside the lockdown areas are not suspended,” he said.
Mandanas said the evacuees inside the classrooms will be transferred to different evacuation centers.
“We expect that around 20 percent of evacuees will return home,” he said.
The governor said those who will return home can still seek help from the government through their assistance centers.
Mandanas said they have asked the local chief executives to implement rules on how people will return home or if they will be allowed to go back.
He said there are still checkpoints in lockdown areas manned by police officers who will also handle the traffic.
“For now we are studying if other areas (on lockdown) can be allowed to enter if it is outside the 7-kilometer radius… but it’s not only the radius that we are talking about but the possible threats,” the governor said. “But for now, total lockdown on Laurel and Agoncillo.”
In a radio interview earlier over DZBB, Mandanas said local officials from Agoncillo are not allowed to implement window hours.
The governor said they will also allot budget for the affected residents who will now return home.
“We increase our calamity (fund) from 60 million to over 300 million. Tomorrow, our regular fund is already needed for the short-term, six months which we will increase to P2 billion,” he said.
Mandanas cited also the P30 billion that President Rodrigo Duterte promised to be spent for the Taal-affected areas.
He said they are eyeing on developing resettlement areas.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), a total of 376,327 individuals or 98,187 families have been affected by the continuous activity of Taal Volcano after its phreatic eruption last January 12. Ella Dionisio/DMS
