PART II: RESEARCH ANALYSIS

In this past few weeks we all know that the taal volcano eruption is one of the

current issue that cause traumatic impact to the people of batangas and also to our

government. Some effects of volcanic eruption was volcanic earthquakes, state of

calamity and ashfalls that cause diseases and several places are ash coated. On

January 13, the provincial board of Batangas declared the province under a state of

calamity following the eruption. As a result of these constant earthquakes, numerous

fissures or cracks began to appear across different barangays in the Batangas towns of

Agoncillo, Lemery, San Nicolas, and Talisay, the towns within the 14-kilometer radius

danger zone of Taal. A fissure also transected the road connecting Agoncillo to Laurel.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar clarified that fruits and vegetables filled with ash,

including the Coffea liberica fruits that are homegrown in Batangas and Cavite, are

safely consumable upon cleansing. They also advised the public to refrain from

purchasing and consuming freshwater fish from the Taal Lake, such as tilapia and

Sardinella tawilis, as these may have been affected by the sulfur from the eruption. With

regards to infrastructure, nine road sections had been reported as closed due to

damage and/or debris. The taal volcano has erupted about 35 times in the last few

hundred years, the volcanologist say the last time was in 1977 but on January 26,

PHIVOLCS lowered the alert status from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3 to reflect the

overall decrease in volcanic activity.

Residents living outside of the 4.3-mile danger zone can now return to their

homes, though many homes are no longer safe to inhabit. Priority needs include
nonfood items, including hygiene/dignity kits, WASH items for evacuation centers and

relocation sites, and mental health and psychosocial support in response to the

disasters, the national government is leading recovery efforts, in partnership with the

Philippine Red Cross and other governmental departments.

On January 29, the team of International Medical Corps has scaled up its

operations to support the increased needs attributed to the eruption of the Taal Volcano.

Additional staff, including logistics specialists, have been deployed to the Philippines to

support increased activities and assist with the distribution of non-food items (including

face masks), and water, sanitation and hygiene supplies. They traveled to the

Batangas Incident Command Center, which is located in the Batangas Provincial Sports

Complex. The complex has also been serving as an emergency shelter for residents

evacuated from the danger zone the six municipalities that were previously under

lockdown (Lemery, Taal, San Nicolas, Agoncillo, Laurel and Talisay). Staff at the

complex noted that the families who have remained at the shelter are either afraid that

there may be an eruption or they are still cleaning/repairing their homes. The staff

expects the number of people in evacuation centers will continue to decline over the

weekend, as many homes have been cleaned and the local government has cleared

them for occupancy.

Many residents were grateful for the donations they got, but more than the relief

packs, they said they need cash to start anew, the relief goods were more than enough

but their house needed repairs but they didn't have any income. The Department of

Health advised the public to remain indoors and minimize outdoor activities. The DSWD
and the Department of Health (DOH) handed a combined total of ₱4.9 million

(US$96,656) worth of assistance to the affected residents in Calabarzon. President

Duterte has apologized for his late visit to the communities hit by Taal Volcano’s wrath,

but promised government’s sustained relief efforts until the crisis is over. The President

made the remarks after expressing satisfaction with the government response to Taal

Volcano’s activity affecting Batangas and nearby areas. Duterte said the concerned

agencies must continue to provide food and other assistance to the communities

displaced by the natural disaster. The President also told local officials that they can talk

to Cabinet members if they need any assistance and handed over P7.5-million

livelihood assistance to Batangas farmers whose crops were damaged by the volcano’s

eruption and another P3.5-million assistance was released to the fisherfolk in the

province. The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), the Department of Health

(DOH) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) were the lead

agencies that provided the assistance. Various non-government organizations,

advocacies, and government units have prepared volunteers to accept donations for

Taal Volcano eruption victims. PAWS is also sending out help focused on rescuing

animals in and around Taal Lake. According to PAWS, pet dogs, cows, and other

livestock have been left at the site when people were evacuated. Caritas Manila is a

church-based nonprofit organization with one of the biggest relief efforts for victims of

the Taal Volcano eruption.