A child rights group called on local government units (LGUs) to ensure the protection and safety of children by developing their respective comprehensive emergency programs.
“We are appealing to the local government units to ensure the safety and protection of children and their families during this crisis, as well as to develop their Comprehensive Emergency Program for Children (CEPC) to address the safety, protection, participation, and development of all children when emergencies or disasters strike,” said Save the Children in the Philippines Chief Executive Officer Albert Muyot.
The organization made this appeal following the recent developments related to the Taal Volcano.
On July 1, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised Taal’s alert status to Alert Level 3 after generating a kilometer-high phreatomagmatic plume.
Muyot, a former Undersecretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), stressed that “children’s rights to protection from all forms of harm, to be with their families at all times, to remain healthy, and to continue learning amidst the pandemic and emergencies such as the latest Taal Volcano eruption, should always be realized.”
He added that Save the Children’s humanitarian teams are on stand-by and ready to respond, and provide displaced families with temporary shelters and other essentials, as needed.
Fears, concerns mount over Taal situation amid COVID-19 crisis
Concern is mounting for the safety of children and families in Batangas amid Taal’s continued unrest.
Some barangays in Agoncillo and Laurel – towns which are considered as high-risk areas- have undergone forced evacuation already. More than 7,000 residents in Laurel and nearly 14,500 people from Agoncillo are affected, Save the Children said.
In addition, Save the Children noted that communities around the Taal Lake are advised to evacuate, take precautionary measures, and remain vigilant for possible hazards and volcanic tsunami according to the Phivolcs.
Authorities are evacuating hundreds of families from their homes to safer areas. But as the country continues to grapple with a second wave of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Save the Children warned that another eruption will also increase the risk of the virus spreading.
“If the volcano erupts again, it could be deadly,” Save the Children in the Philippines Humanitarian Manager Jerome Balinton said - adding that thousands of families and children have been forced to evacuate their homes and are temporarily sheltered at evacuation centers.
“We are also concerned that, amidst the chaos of the evacuations, families will be unable to follow social distancing guidelines and are at risk of being infected with the virus,” Balinton said.
Balinton noted that there are 16 active cases of COVID-19 reported in Agoncillo and Laurel and if the evacuation of families becomes overwhelming, he noted that it “may contribute” to the spread of the virus.
“With the country still reeling from the fallout of COVID-19, a life-threatening volcanic eruption is the last thing these areas need,” Balinton said.
“Many families have already lost their homes and their livelihoods because of the pandemic,” he stressed - adding that “disasters like this exacerbate their present condition and coping with life struggles.”
In a bulletin issued on July 3, Phivolcs said that Taal Volcano continued to “manifest heightened activity” with a series of three short phreatomagmatic bursts which occurred on Friday morning.
For updates on the Taal Volcano situation, read:
https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/03/taal-volcano-situation-tracker/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=taal-volcano-situation-tracker