Taal Area - Relief Efforts

[drbubb]

Taal Area - Relief Efforts (in San Luis, etc)

> MORE PHOTOS : Other thread, Main page :

A RELIEF EFFORT in San Luis is being led by (partly) Diving Instructors

Today, I attended an interesting "Speed Dating" meeting organized by Ted. TOPIC: Taal Disaster & relief efforts. We had two people join us from the area, who gave us good insight into what is happening & what is needed, I think there is more to be share here, about how to give some effective help in the Taal Relief effort. 

Per TS: Based on the discussions today (which are summarized here), we think the most effective impact will be to focus efforts on the needs of ONE evacuation center: San Luis, a 4th class municipality which is right outside the 14 km danger zone. Given such "strategic location" evacuees from the larger towns of Taal and Lemery (both on lock-down) have congregated to San Luis evacuation centre. The estimate is it has 15,000 evacuees.

As a backgrounder to Dr. Eric Punzalan and Richard Hirsch (they are now part of this viber chat group), they are members of Batangas Dive Professionals & Resort Operators Society, Inc. The organization has 50 dive pros and 10 resorts as members. Being active dive pros in Batangas, they see with their own eyes daily the plight of the evacuees and the effect on the environment resulting from the current situation.

Each of their members is helping out in different ways. Some are cooking 5,000 meals a day for evacuees, as an example.

2.
Also attending the Rotary-related Speed Dating, were two from the Taal area.
Chemist Dr Eric Punzalan, and retired America anthropologist, Richard Hirsch,  live in the Balayan Bay Area
Near Taal. They both live in the area near Taal, and saw the explosion and gas fumes.  They were moved
By what they saw and have become active in relief efforts in the city-town of San Luis just outside the
14km emergency exclusion zone.  (They are also both divers and diving instructors and have a keen
Interest in the environmental impact of the explosion and the evacuation.)

Both government and private relief efforts have resulted in a steady flow of food to the area. A lane on
The highway is blocked to be used for emergency vehicles bringing food etc,
We are at the second stage now of the relief.  Needs beyond food and water need addressing.
Sanitation is a big one.  For example, in San Luis there are 15,000 evacuated people who had to
Leave quickly the high danger zone.  They are now living in community without housing for them:
Covered basketball courts, schools.  There are insufficient toilets, and an urgent need for portajohns.

The waste fluids and human waste need removal and treatment.

There is a flood of plastic piling up: forks, spoons, plates, & bags. Piling up in the area.
Very little waste is being removed, and this will be putting the environment at risk. Since there are
Already inadequate removal of waste plastic.

=====

LINKS - follow

FOR RELIEF GOODS COLLECTION
Palm Village Association, Zodiac St. cor Estrella St., Makati

Batangas Dive Pros : Facebook Page ... / Two attended the Meeting today:

winditapawan@gmail.com

Eric.Punzalan@dlsu.edu.ph / 0917 814 9446

RHirsch@APII.com.ph / 0917 526 3998

 

[drbubb]

HOW TO HELP

3.
This is not the right time for “concerned tourists” (or investment bargain-hunters) to be visiting the
Taal area. The 14 km zone is closed off. And areas nearby are over-run with evacuees needing help.
New people will mostly be a burden,  and even the help of bringing some food and medicines will
Not be easy to accommodate.  It will be easier to donate goods or Money to relief deposit, which
Have already been established in areas like Rockwell (see below) where what is needed is known
And there are organised convoys to take the donated goods to the proper organised sites

4.
For those who want to learn more…
Instead of Taal area, it may make sense to visit the Batangas area. Many people there are watching
The developments at Taal and are also helping in relief efforts, so they can share their knowledge
And experience.  
The two Diving instructors can provide maybe a two birds with one stone, type communication.
I will ask them to join one or more Viber groups.
They can provide info on how to donate goods in Makati, for example, which will get transported
To the needy areas by convoys.  They can also tell us where to make cash donations. Money can
Be ear-marked for particular usage, like medicine, or water and sanitation.  And the divers have
An audit system, to make sure the funds will be properly used.

Maybe in a few weeks a trip might be organised to a Batangas resort where diving spots could
Be discussed and visited.  Some of the pro-divers (such as Eric & Richard) might also be able to
Update visitors on relief efforts.  

It will be many weeks, or some months before it will make sense to visit Taal area. The suggestion
Was to wait for the volcanic lava to subside to “at least level 3”

Obviously, if people do want to invest, the best way is to establish some “good karma” first by
Helping in the relief effort.  This is also be a good way too learn what is actually happening and
What the longer term plans and potential of the area might be,

xx

Anilao / Balayan Bay

 

 

[drbubb]

Many Other efforts are also underway:

Taguig holds another relief operation for Taal Volcano victims

January 19, 2020,

RELIEF OPERATIONS. The team from Taguig City unloads relief packs for victims of the Taal Volcano eruption in an evacuation site in Laurel, Batangas on Jan. 17, 2020. The city also held a medical mission for 122 families or 500 individuals. (Photo courtesy of Mylene Gregorio)

MANILA -- After sending aid to affected residents two days after the Taal Volcano eruption, a team from City of Taguig returned on Friday to provide free medical assistance and relief packs to over 122 families displaced by the calamity in the town of Laurel, Batangas

The city conducted a medical mission and relief operation for the 500 individuals staying in an evacuation site in Splendido Taal Country Club near the vicinity of Laurel, one of the affected towns by Taal Volcano eruption on January 12.

The charitable effort began with a medical mission led by the Taguig City Health Office responding to the call of the local government of Laurel to provide medical services for its evacuees. An onsite pharmacy was set up for those needing medication and supplements.

The relief operation team composed of employees from the government’s different departments also offered psychosocial support by holding parlor games and a show featuring magic and puppetry for the affected children.

After the evacuees were given medical help, they were given food packs, bottles of drinking water, hygiene kits, beddings, and N95 masks, among others.

Taguig Rescue team distributes water for the hygiene and cleaning needs of evacuees in Laurel, Batangas.

Each household also received water jugs and packs of sodium hypochlorite, a liquid that purifies water for drinking purposes. The Taguig City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office also taught the evacuees how to chlorinate water so that it would be safe to drink.

Taguig Rescue brought truckloads of water for the hygienic and cleaning needs of the evacuees. Also joining the medical mission was the Taguig City police.

The medical and relief effort was in cooperation with the offices of Senator Pia Cayetano, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Taguig second district Rep. Lani Cayetano.

[drbubb]

42 minutes ago, drbubb said:

Taal Area - Relief Efforts (in San Luis, etc)

Per TS: Based on the discussions today (which are summarized here), we think the most effective impact will be to focus efforts on the needs of ONE evacuation center: San Luis, a 4th class municipality which is right outside the 14 km danger zone. Given such "strategic location" evacuees from the larger towns of Taal and Lemery (both on lock-down) have congregated to San Luis evacuation centre. The estimate is it has 15,000 evacuees.

Population census of San Luis :
Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 5,316 —     1918 6,728 +1.58% 1939 8,464 +1.10% 1948 9,330 +1.09% 1960 12,290 +2.32% 1970 15,133 +2.10% 1975 16,884 +2.22%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1980 17,991 +1.28% 1990 22,143 +2.10% 1995 26,423 +3.37% 2000 26,924 +0.40% 2007 29,645 +1.34% 2010 30,701 +1.28% 2015 33,149 +1.47%