Police in La Trinidad, Benguet help load the vegetables onto a truck as farmers in the province continue to gather donations for the victims of the Taal Volcano eruption. Photo by Kimberlie Quitasol
MANILA, Philippines — Over P16.5 million worth of assistance have been sent to families who are now sheltered at various evacuation centers following the Jan. 12 eruption of Taal Volcano, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Saturday.
Specifically, the NDRRMC said in its 6 a.m. situational report that P16,585,936 worth of aid was provided by local government units, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Health.
According to the NDRRMC report, 22,472 families or 96,061 individuals were affected by the volcanic eruption in Batangas, Cavite, Laguna and Quezon. Of which 16,174 families or 70,413 people are now housed in over 300 evacuation centers.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), 666 volcanic earthquakes were recorded in the vicinity of the Taal Volcano. Of this number, 174 tremors were felt, “ranging from 1.2 to 4.1 magnitude earthquakes and Intensity I to IV.”