MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) will set up assistance desks at evacuation centers near Taal Volcano, as the volcano remains restive over the last three days.
According to PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, he has already directed both the Joint Task Force COVID Shield and the Police Regional Office 4-A to set up assistance desks that would help ensure the health safety, and security of evacuees.
“I have already directed the Commander, JTF COVID Shield, and the RD (regional director), PRO4A to set up Police Assistance Desks in all the evacuation centers in Batangas to ensure that their security and health safety are assured 24/7,” Eleazar said.
“Kasama dito ang pag-designate ng COVID-19 protocol officer na makikipagtulungan sa local health office at LGU upang hangga’t maari ay matiyak na napapatupad ang minimum public health safety protocol sa mga evacuation centers,” he added.
(This includes the designation of a COVID-19 protocol officer who would coordinate with local health offices and the local government unit to ensure that as much as possible, minimum public health safety protocols in evacuation centers are observed.)
Earlier, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Taal Volcano’s main crater lake has continued to upwell, resulting in a volcanic plume that is around 2.4 kilometers high.
This was after a phreatomagmatic eruption occurred in Taal Volcano on Thursday afternoon, spewing ash and other materials around one kilometer high. Due to the activity, Phivolcs placed Taal Volcano under Alert Level 3, which means some barangays in the nearby town of Agoncillo and Laurel in Batangas should be evacuated.
READ: Alert Level 3 raised on Taal Volcano after emitting kilometer-high phreatomagmatic plume
Thousands of families have either been asked to evacuate or have voluntarily made their way out of the danger zone, with the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council saying that 1,282 individuals have been moved to 11 evacuation centers in nearby towns.
READ: Thousands of residents evacuate amid Taal Volcano unrest
Aside from police help desks, Eleazar said checkpoints were also set up to prevent residents from returning to danger zones.
“Nauunawaan naming ang hirap ng sitwasyon ng ating mga kababayan na napilitang lumikas sa panahon pa mismo ng pandemya. Pero kailangan nating mag-ingat at makakaasa kayo na ang inyong PNP ay tutugon dito,” the PNP chief said.
(We understand the difficult situation of our countrymen who were forced to evacuate, especially now with an ongoing pandemic. But we have to stay safe and you can expect that the PNP would respond to your needs.)
As of Saturday, Phivolcs said Taal Volcano continues to release high amounts of sulfur dioxide (SO2) which had drifted southwest and north northwest of the volcano.
“In the past 24-hour period, the Taal Volcano Network recorded forty-eight (48) volcanic earthquakes, including two (2) volcano-tectonic earthquakes, forty (40) low-frequency volcanic earthquakes, six (6) volcanic tremor events having durations up to four (4) minutes,” state volcanologists said.
“High levels of volcanic sulfur dioxide or SO2 gas emissions and steam-rich plumes that rose as much as three thousand (3,000) meters high that drifted southwest and north-northwest were generated from the Taal Main Crater. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission averaged 10,254 tonnes/day on 02 July 2021,” they added.
READ: Taal Volcano remains restive, minor eruptions recorded — Phivolcs
Despite the recent activities, Phivolcs said Thursday they are not expecting a situation similar to what had happened in January 2020, when a strong phreatic explosion triggered an ash column that eventually led to an ashfall that reached as far as Metro Manila and Central Luzon.
The January 2020 explosion displaced several residents due to the thick ash and paralyzed several industries in the region.
READ: Phivolcs not expecting Taal Volcano to erupt like in January 2020
READ: Taal’s phreatomagmatic eruption unlikely to cause widespread ashfall – Phivolcs