lowered-Phivola

Reiidents told to be evac-reody; 2 towns on lockdown

ByRioN.Araja' v4g4'oUNFiledsr
(1 )
A N explosive eruPtion
f.\ or tn" rual Volcano . The immerliate impacfof ihe re,cuced
J L no longer appears . wSming was tbe lifting of tlq evacua-
it"-i"attt, autf,orities said tion oiler for nearlv atl the towns that
**
il;;G,h"y lifted most' :f.'ff;"i"ffii; il"Til"1*"**
.
of a mass evacuation order "Residents under lock-
of all towns
uJ*u*.0."'identsto i:fffH#f'l$':#,!"i'j}i!X
rernainreadytoflee. ^d;il;;ild;Mandanastolclapress
' "offi!i""'i'u oo"iuilitv that the volcano
Wamine sisns like earthquakes have *u, su'll eruirt and we should still be
-waning
been steaiity since Taal burst
-with
to ready to evacuale in one bour'"
rii" w" *.!t* ago ptumes of ash No one is known to have died in the
;;; l;;.' i;d ""er t is,ooo people 35npl1sq 6ut the ash it unleashed forced
il ;illlrs o'o"i f".t a massive blast the" brief closure of the capital's mairt
was coming. intemational air'port, stranding tens o{
l'he Phil-ippine lnstitute of Volcanol- thousands oftravelers'
--1e volcanrir shot ash 1s kilorq6!
;;j"$i;togy ifuinor"t sairt
;'"dil"-thn"ki;*
"Jilit
iin *a g* emis- lsrs high and spewed lava in tbe Jan'.
i.* ri*" 12 eniption. wirich cnrshed scores of
"-r'dor"*"it"nd"n"y
;;"r;;.;#il; *plosive eruption,'?" homes'and killed livestock asx"x well as
i"uaittg tft"- to otop the alert by a notch, trops. eagl

fu " )
to Alen Level 3.

ilwr FAe€
 ro go back," said Ronald Humarang. a '-ili;iit-riill
tons a dav on Jan. 22 Drovisions of Republic Act No. i0821
Taal... 32-vear-old factorv worker. ;tised concerned lo- in attending to needs of the children af-
'i sovernments to "assess areas outside fected by the Taal eruption," she said.
Frcm A7 am not really aftaid (of an exPlo- cal -seven-kilometer .
during the initial eruption, the radius for damage Senator Christopher Lawrence Go
sion) because
*" didn't evacuate our house immedi- and road accessibilities" as well as to ursed affected residents of Agoncillo
However, seismologists wamed the anZ Laurel to continue heeding the lock-
volcano could unleash a much bigger atelv." he said. "strengthen preparedness... in case of
''within posing Phivolcs renewed uffest." down in other Batangas towns to ensure
eruotion hours to days", lriits 8 a.m. bulletin Sunday,
a deadly risk to anyone in a l4-kilome- citod a decline in volcanic earthquakes, The Palace on SundaY said it was their safery and protection. He also ap-
pealed to residents to respect the adviso-
ter radius danger zone. slower ground deformation in volcano Dleased that state seismologists haYe
ries of Phivolcs, which has come under
The volcano island is still under evac- island and the volceno's caldera, and iowered down the alen level of Taal
that the national attack bv some Doliticians.
uation orders, and the thousands who weak steam and gas emissions at its Volcano into 3, adding . Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto
govemment would still prepare for dan-
lived there will not be allowed to retum, main crater.
has said. Despite the lower alert level, gers that might arise. on Sunda! batted for the creation of
the sovernment fhivolcs a Taal Commission to oversee the
Tial, located just 60 kilometers from wamed'that "this should not be inter- In related developments:
or that . Tinsos oarwlist Reo. Yedda Marie relief, rehabilitation and assistance to
Manila, is one ofthe inost a4iv€ volca- Dreted that the unrest has ceased
threat ofhazardous eruption has dis- Romuaide"z bn Sunday urged officials of affected communities, saying the P30
noes in a country, ihe
the national agencies and local govem- billion supplemental budget requested
Its last eruption was in 1977, but it has anoeared."
a long history ofactivity.
'bhivolcs noted "diminished to infre- ment units to ensure that special care bv Presidint Rodrigo Duterte and
In 1965, a Taal eruption killed some quent weak ash eruptions and longer and attention are given to children af- til. ;;hrnlt tuoJs f& victims of the
the fected by thc eruption of Taal Volcano eruotions of Taal Volcano are not
200 people. episodes ofdegassing or steaming in
enoush to meet their needs. Santos said
I)esnite the risks that the volcano Taal main crater that generated steant- in Batangas. "I wish to remind my co-
on the exist€nce it wo-uld take at least four years before
erupt iould again erupt, many residents laden plumes less than one kilometer workers in govemment
ofthis law mandating special protection the lives ofthose allected could go back
were easer to rehm home. tall.'
-Thati where we were bom. includ- 'Sulfur dioxide flux also decreased to children before, during and after di- to normal. With MJ Blancaflor, Macon
to comply with the Ramos-Araneta. AFP, PNA
ing my ancestors... so we ate deiermined from 5,300 tons d daY on Jan' 13 to 140 sasters. They need

\ 4sAodt)c ilerDsu
L&)