Makati sends emergency equipment to Taal-hit areas
The Makati local government on Thursday ordered the deployment of the city’s disaster response vehicles and equipment to Batangas province to help evacuees affected by the ongoing eruption of Taal Volcano.
In a statement, Mayor Abby Binay said that on Sunday, the city would be sending a supertanker fire truck that could carry up to 3,000 gallons of water and two penetrator fire trucks that could enter narrow streets.
The city government will also be transporting a water filtration system, mobile shower, vacuum tanker, generator sets, mobile kitchen and jerry cans.
A team from the city disaster risk reduction and management council will handle the transport of vehicles and equipment to Bauan, Batangas, after which it will coordinate with other disaster risk reduction and management councils on their target locations.
“We are mobilizing vital equipment to address the urgent needs of thousands of families displaced by the sudden eruption of Taal Volcano. The ordeal of evacuees from identified danger zones in Laguna and Batangas is far from over, and we would like to help ease their suffering by giving them access to potable water and power supply, among other necessities,” Binay said. The super tanker, which has a water storage capacity equivalent to the load of eight fire trucks, will be used to carry water that will pass through the city-provided water filtration system, in order to provide evacuees with potable water.
The mobile kitchen will be used for mass food production, allowing for the preparation of at least 800 meals per operation. With its weather protection features and built-in chimney, it also ensures food safety and quality, Binay said.
The city is also sending its mobile shower facility that provides needed privacy for residents while taking a decent shower. Also to be deployed is a vacuum tanker that will be used to collect sludge from the mobile shower.
On Sunday, Taal Volcano started spewing steam, ash and small rocks, prompting the government to evacuate residents.
