European Union donates P42M for Taal eruption victims

MANILA, Philippines — The European Union has donated €750,000 or over P42 million to aid victims of Taal Volcano’s eruption.

The donation seeks to help in providing emergency shelter and essential household items, such as mats and blankets, hygiene kits, and access to clean water

Janez Lenarčič, EU Commissioner for Crisis Management, said that the funding would help support the local government of Batangas as well as their humanitarian partners that are extending help to the affected residents.

“The EU stands ready to support the people of the Philippines and ensure affected people get protection and have enough means to survive through this difficult time and get back to their feet at the earliest possible,” Lenarčič was quoted as saying in an EU press release.

The eruption has affected over 350,000 people and displaced 288,000 individuals from their homes.

Some 63,000 people are temporarily sheltered in 415 evacuation centers.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has lowered alert on Taal Volcano from Level 4 to Level 3.

But Phivolcs said that this should not be interpreted as “unrest has ceased or that the threat of hazardous eruption has disappeared.”