Taal Volcano threatens anew, drives more than a thousand families to evacuate

Following the government’s Taal Volcano alert level 3 warning last Saturday morning, local town authorities near the volcano advised residents to evacuate for safety and remain alert.

“There is no ash fall but families are following the safety instructions of the local government as precaution measures,” shares Michael Macabasag, World Vision Program Officer based in Batangas province.

As of March 28, the government recorded 1,010 families or 3,662 persons staying inside or outside displacement sites. They are coming from the towns of Agoncillo, Laurel, San Luis, Taal, Calaca, Calatagan, and Lemery of Batangas.

Child-focused organization World Vision, which has presence in some of the potentially affected areas, coordinates with the local government offices and community partners.  World Vision currently assists about 2,100 sponsored children and families through its development area programmes in the province.

“We initially conducted an assessment in two evacuation sites and learned that there are around 70 World Vision-assisted families seeking shelter in the sites,” says Macabasag. “Our partners from the community shared that the local government is providing the basic needs of the evacuees. Although the rural health unit expressed that they need hygiene kits,” he adds

In January 2020, after an alert level 4 warning in Mt. Taal, World Vision served at least 3,000 families affected families through its massive emergency relief response providing dust masks, hygiene kits, non-food items, learners’ kits. In 2021, the organization also donated 150 camping tents to local government that can be used during emergency situations.