Lawmaker bats for master plan to help Taal eruption survivors

A family evacuates to safer grounds as Taal Volcano in Tagaytay, Cavite province, erupted on Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. (Photo by AARON FAVILA / AP)

MANILA, Philippines — Almost a month after Taal Volcano erupted, Bahay Partylist Rep. Naealla Aguinaldo is calling for a rehabilitation and resettlement master plan for communities who were affected by the unrest of the volcano.

Aguinaldo filed House Resolution No. 699, which calls on national agencies to create a comprehensive plan that specifies the financial requirements for relief, rehabilitation, and resettlement of Taal Volcano victims.

“Now that PHILVOLCS (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) has lowered the Alert Level from 4 to 3, the priority now is to accurately evaluate the extent of the damage as a whole so that a comprehensive long-term plan can be put together at the soonest possible time,” the lawmaker said.

Aguinaldo, who is a native of Taal, Batangas, underscored that the plan should include building infrastructure to help victims to prepare for the impending eruption of the volcano.

“This should not only include projects that will help affected areas recover from effects of the latest eruption, the plan should also involve putting in place infrastructure to help prepare them for future eruptions,” Aguinaldo said.

“It should likewise provide local government units in high-risk areas with the resources needed so they can immediately respond in the event Taal erupts again,” she added.

Of the 482,925 survivors of the eruption, 23,915 individuals are still taking refuge in 152 evacuation centers.

/atm