DLSU Lipa opens 'welcome shelter' for those seeking refuge from Taal's wrath
BATANGAS — De La Salle University in Lipa City opened its doors to evacuees Saturday afternoon, calling its facility a "welcome shelter" and not an evacuation center.
“We treat them as guests here, not as evacuees. If we can ease their suffering a little bit with every little facility that we can provide, at least nakatulong tayo ng maayos,” said De La Salle Lipa President Brother Dante Amisola.
The university has ensured that the handling of evacuees is organized from arrival up to the designation of tents.
Upon arrival, all evacuees underwent medical check-up and followed a systematic four-step registration process which involved profiling per family, assignment of tents, distribution of food trays and kit distribution.
Each family was then escorted to the evacuation center by volunteers who turned out to be students, faculty or alumni of the university.
Among the facilities provided by the school are individual tents per family with two chairs each and a mat, shower facilities, a locker room and an entertainment area with a play center.
In the coming days, there will be additional outdoor showers for men, portalets, a wash area, a commissary and a mess hall.
“We want to give them a semblance of some normality. It’s really to create community to ease their suffering, to respect the dignity of each one. We really want to create a community here where they can take care of each other,” Amisola added.
DLSU Lipa has officially suspended classes until the end of the month.
Amisola said that despite concerns of parents and students, this is the best time to teach young people about what it means to be a Filipino and a human being.
“When you see someone suffering, what do you do, and what does that make us? This whole event is a teaching moment. Sometimes we think you learn everything in school, but when you have an event like this, it’s the best time to teach our kids. What does it mean to be a human being? Why do you go to school anyway, to become equipped and to be able to share what we have,” he added.
Aside from the over 300 evacuees hosted by the school, they also provide hot meals to displaced residents staying in a nearby evacuation center.
Meanwhile, as per the latest tally of disaster response officials, the number of evacuees had already increased to 232,899 individuals or 54,459 families in 479 evacuation centers all over Batangas, Cavite and Quezon.
Get updates as Phivolcs issues warnings over activity in Taal Volcano. (Main photo by Philstar.com/Rosette Adel)
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issues a notice reporting an increased and continuous degassing activity from Taal Volcano.
In its 6 p.m. advisory, Phivolcs says the sulfur dioxide emission from the main crater reached 9762 tonnes per day. This was the higher recorded this year.
Phivolcs adds that there was no smog or vog observed. — Rosette Adel
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology says Taal Volcano is still under Alert Level 1.
In an update on Wednesday, its says that the daily sulfur dioxide emissions (SO2) reached 2887 tonnes / day (06 October 2023).
Phivolcs also observes upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in the Main Crater Lake. — Rosette Adel
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reports that Taal Volcano's daily sulfur dioxide emissions (SO2) reached 2887 tonnes.
It observes upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in the Main Crater Lake as well as volcanic smog or vog.
The volcano's emissions are also 2400 meters tall. — Rosette Adel
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology releases time-lapse snapshots of degassing activity from the Taal Main Crater and volcanic smog or vog formation on Sunday.
These were taken from 5:45 a.m. to 11:42 a.m. by the Mt. Macolot, Cuenca, Batangas station (VTCU) IP Camera.
LOOK: Time-lapse snapshots of degassing activity from the Taal Main Crater and volcanic smog or vog formation taken from 05:45 AM to 11:42 AM today, 8 October 2023 by the Mt. Macolot, Cuenca, Batangas station (VTCU) IP Camera. pic.twitter.com/jp48R1IZQy
— PHIVOLCS-DOST (@phivolcs_dost) October 8, 2023
— Rosette Adel
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology records daily sulfur dioxide emissions that reached 2730 tonnes / day (22 September 2023).
It also observes upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in the Main Crater Lake and observed VOG.
Phivolcs adds that there is a ong-term deflation of the Taal Caldera; short-term inflation of the northern flanks of the Taal Volcano Island.
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