Vice President Leni Robredo visits evacuees currently staying at Mendez-Nuñez town in Cavite, on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. Photo by Charlie Villegas / OVP
MANILA, Philippines – At least 1,500 food packs, hygiene kits, sleeping blankets, and mattresses were distributed by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) to Taal Volcano eruption victims on Tuesday.
Vice President Leni Robredo visits evacuees currently staying at Mendez-Nuñez town in Cavite, as she made her rounds to areas affected by the unrest of Taal Volcano on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. The OVP and its Angat Buhay partners donated food packs and hygiene kits to the evacuees. Photo by Charlie Villegas / OVP
According to OVP, Vice President Leni Robredo visited families staying in different evacuation centers in Mendez, Cavite, and the Batangas towns of Nasugbu, Tuy, and Lian. Each food pack contains 1.5 kilograms of rice, assorted canned goods, and instant noodles.
The OVP stated that the relief items were obtained through donations of their private sector partners, which are also supporting their Angat Buhay and Ahon Laylayan initiatives.
Some of the donations were also provided through the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership, which Robredo’s late husband former interior secretary Jesse Robredo was a part of.
Robredo previously visited Taal victims, days after the volcano erupted — but not without controversy. After her visit, administration ally and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Deputy Administrator Margaux “Mocha” Uson shared an unverified article claiming that Robredo only distributed pan de sal (salted bread).
The Vice President has debunked this claim, questioning why the government keeps a purveyor of fake news among its ranks.
As of now, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology maintains Alert Level 4 over the area, which means that residents within the 14-kilometer radius should be evacuated.
The explosion has already displaced thousands of residents, with data from non-government organizations saying that around 300,000 individuals have been forced to flee their homes.