Residents' activities around Taal still normal

MANILA, Philippines - Residents around Taal lake look more relaxed now that Taal volcano has started to return to normal, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said yesterday.

NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said Taal volcano is very quiet now and the people are “no longer that apprehensive.”

Ramos headed a team of disaster officials in conducting a survey in the area yesterday.

However, Ramos said Alert 2 is still being maintained in the area and the four-kilometer danger zone is still being enforced.

Ramos said residents must always be observant and on guard.

“Monitored quakes have subsided, but the Phivolcs has not lowered the alert level,” he said.

It is only the Phivolcs (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) that has the authority to downgrade the alert level, Ramos said.

The raising of alert level 2 has prompted a few families to leave the island.

Most residents are reluctant to leave the island because they rely on fishing and tourism for their livelihood.

Divers to evacuate residents

More Coast Guard divers are helping evacuate residents in the perimeter of Taal volcano.

Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo said elite divers with rubber boats are ready to be deployed to Talisay town in Batangas.

“There are three teams on standby that would immediately be deployed if needed,” he said.

Tamayo said among those who would be prioritized for evacuation are the elderly, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, and children.

Residents must evacuate voluntarily as they could not force the people to leave their homes, he added.

The Coast Guard is in close contact with the NDRRMC and local government units, Tamayo said.

Last Saturday, Phivolcs not only raised the warning at the Taal volcano to alert level 2, but it also widened the scope of the “off limits” area.

Phivolcs advised the public to stay away from the main crater, Daang Kastila Trail and Mt. Tabaro, site of the 1965 eruption.

DOH: Taal residents may develop respiratory ailments

An official of the Department of Health (DOH) warned yesterday residents near Taal volcano that they are exposing themselves to various ailments.

Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, DOH program manager for emerging and re-emerging diseases, said the carbon dioxide spewed by Taal is harmful to health, especially on the respiratory system.

“It can primarily trigger asthma attack,” he said.

“Aside from that, it can cause skin diseases and allergies. The residents there should not take this for granted.”

Residents must heed the warnings of government authorities for their own safety, Lee Suy said.

Thousands of residents have been ignoring government calls for them to relocate due to the continued activity of Taal volcano. – With Evelyn Macairan, Sheila Crisostomo