Palace assures gov’t preparedness, assistance  as Taal Volcano rumbles

Members of Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Airforce, and Department of Tourism patrol around the Taal Volcano Island in Talisay, Batangas last February. (INQUIRER file photo / Niño Jesus Orbeta)

MANILA, Philippines — The government is closely monitoring the Taal Volcano situation, Malacañang said Friday, assuring that concerned agencies are already prepositioned to extend due assistance to displaced residents.

“We are closely monitoring the situation in Taal after the phreatomagmatic eruptions that occurred in Taal Volcano,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.

“We ask residents in the areas surrounding the volcano lake to remain vigilant, take precautionary measures, cooperate with their local authorities should the need for evacuation arise,” he added.

Roque said local government units (LGUs) are already leading efforts on the ground through their Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices and other government agencies.

Phreatomagmatic activity in Taal Volcano (Screengrab from Phivolcs)

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Calabarzon is already on “heightened alert” with food packs worth P1.4 million and non-food items worth P11 million already on standby, said Roque.

Roque added that the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard already deployed personnel to help in the conduct of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque (File photo from PTV video)

Taal Volcano was placed under Alert Level 3 on Thursday after it released a one-kilometer high “phreatomagmatic plume.”

State volcanologists explained that raising Taal Volcano’s alert level to 3 “means that there is magmatic intrusion at the main crater that may further drive succeeding eruptions.”

Residents from adjacent towns in Batangas have already started evacuating due to Taal’s recent activity.

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