Capitol to send P5 million for Taal victims

The Cebu Province will send aid to the victims of the continuing unrest of Taal Volcano. | Photo from Tagaytay City Cavite Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu provincial government will be extending P5 million in financial aid for the families displaced by the recent eruption of Taal Volcano in Batangas.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia made the announcement during a news conference this afternoon, January 27.

Taal Volcano started spewing ashes in a phreatic eruption at the height of the Sinulog festivities on January 12, 2020.

“We are extending assistance to show solidarity, in times of difficulty, with our fellow province and especially since Congresswoman Vilma Santos-Recto was a colleague of mine in the 16th and 17th Congresses and also a good friend,” Garcia said.

Read: Cebu province to send help to Taal

Garcia said the members of the Provincial Board are already aware of the plan to extend the financial assistance to the provincial government of Batangas. She said the PB may pass the measure giving authority for the disbursement of the financial assistance to Batangas in next week’s session, February 3.

According to a report in Inquirer.net, nearly a million residents from 12 towns and two cities in Batangas took temporary shelter in 400 evacuation centers in Batangas, Cavite and Laguna provinces over the past two weeks after the volcano status was raised to alert level 4.

Read: Taal alert level lowered; lockdown order partially lifted

As of Sunday, Jan. 26, state volcanologists already lowered the status of the volcano to alert level 3.

Although “sudden steam-driven and even weak phreatomagmatic explosions, volcanic earthquakes, ashfall, and lethal volcanic gas expulsions” can still occur at alert level 3, the lowered status provided for the partial lifting of the lockdown of the volcano’s surrounding towns. /rcg