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By APD writer Melo M. Acuña
MANILA, Jan. 19 (APD) – With still 70,413 persons temporarily sheltered in 300 evacuation centers, mostly public elementary and high schools, non-government organizations, religious congregations and the Chinese Embassy have extended assistance to the evacuees.
The Chinese Embassy led by Ambassador Huang Xilian in Manila turned over 8,000 face masks to the evacuees and responders at the Batangas Sports Complex last Friday as he expressed his sympathies to the affected families of the recent Taal volcano eruption and long periods of ash fall.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila extended 12,000 N95 masks for the Taal Volcano evacuees and responders. Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian brought the goods to Batangas Province Friday. (Chinese Embassy Photo)
He was quoted saying “China and the Philippines are good neighbors and good friends with kinship and cultural bond.”
Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas expressed his appreciation for the kind gesture and said China was the first country to donate to the province and with Ambassador Huang as the first ambassador to visit the evacuees.
Ambassador Huang earlier turned over 4,000 masks to Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar in Manila.
Ayala Foundation President Ruel Maranan said the Ayala Group of Companies will attend to the evacuees' needs. He said water, health and sanitation requirements will be given importance. (Melo M. Acuna)
Meanwhile, Ayala Foundation President Ruel Maranan led representatives of the Ayala Group of Companies in delivering relief supplies to nearly 300 individuals at Maninghao Elementary School in Bauan, Batangas. It is almost unimaginable how the six-school room building could accommodate the evacuees.
He said the Foundation is the corporate social arm of the whole conglomerate. He explained there were companies which no longer celebrated their milestones and instead share their programmed expenses to the Foundation’s relief operations.
Soldiers from the AFP Joint Task Group Taal has provided manpower and security assistance in Batangas Province. (Melo M. Acuna)
“The affected residents fled their homes with limited belongings so we are here to provide what we could from water and health and sanitation requirements,” Maranan said. He added their foundation works in coordination with media giant GMA 7 which also has its own foundation.
He said they are looking forward to serving the evacuees for a long period as disaster risk reduction officials have not lowered the alert level as tell-tale signs of further unrest are detected by their equipment and according to visual observations.
School Principal Aldrin Hernandez says evacuees and children would be better off if the internally displaced persons were brought to bigger facilities and their pupils get the education they need at schools. (Melo M. Acuna)
School Principal Aldrin Hernandez said while they have attended to the displaced people’s basic requirements, he is concerned about his elementary pupils’ welfare as the facility has been used emergency shelter.
“My teachers take turns in their duties to attend to the evacuees needs,” he said. He explained he goes home at nearby Batangas City either late evening or early morning.
The heads of the families are instructed to sleep at the school stage. Mr. Hernandez said they just have to make do with what they have but would need additional portable toilets and bathrooms.
As far as 47-year old housewife Wilma Deita is concerned, her family’s temporary stay at the school meant no livelihood.
“I work at a foundry shop in San Pascual town where we make stainless pots,” she said. However, with Taal volcano’s eruption, she has no livelihood and now depends on relief assistance.
Ms. Deita said she’s unsure until when she and her family would stay at Maninghao Elementary School.
School Principal Hernandez said this is the first time he has attended to so many people and suggested local and national officials do stress debriefing activities for both the children and adults.
“They should be productive while within the evacuation centers and skills training be extended to them to earn a living,” Hernandez said.
Ayala Foundation’s Maranan said they will try their best to help the best way they could.
As far as 47-year old housewife Wilma Dieta, being a resident of the Taal Volcano-affected San Pascual town, her stay at the evacuation center means no work. She'll depend on food rations. (Melo M. Acuna)
In response to the government’s call to assist the evacuees, Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera has instructed his parish priests to open the Catholic churches to accommodate those in need of temporary shelter.
PHIVOLCS, in its latest bulletin issued at 8:00 A.M. today said the main. Crater’s activity for the past 24 hours has been “characterized by steady steam emission and frequent weak explosions.”
There have been 691 volcanic earthquakes from 1:00 P.M., last Sunday, January 12. However, for the past 24 hours, the Taal Volcano Network which records small earthquakes unpredictable by other Philippine Seismic Network (PSN) registered 787 volcanic quakes including 15 low-frequency earthquakes.
“Such intense seismic activity likely signifies continuous magmatic intrusion beneath the Taal edifice, which may lead to further eruptive activity,” according to the PHIVOLCS statement.
Alert Level 4 has been maintained as of this writing which means a violent eruption may take place within hours or days.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
