Cavite readies evacuation after Alert Level 3 status raised over Taal Volcano

The provincial government of Cavite and the city government of Tagaytay have rolled out evacuation preparations after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised the alert status over Taal Volcano to Alert Level 3 on Thursday (July 1).

"Nagumpisa na po ang evacuation preparations ng lalawigan at ng Tagaytay City. Ang hangin ng habagat ay pwede na magdala ng matinding abo kapag ito ay umabot sa alert level 4-5 (Evacuation preparations of the province and Tagaytay City have begun. Southwest monsoon may scatter ash if the alert level reaches four to five)," Governor Jonvic Remulla announced on his Facebook page.

Remulla also asked his constituents to stand by for further announcements.

The Cavite Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office immediately held an emergency meeting following Phivolcs' announcement.

In March, the local government units (LGU) of Batangas and Cavite held a mass evacuation simulation exercise as part of preparations in case the Taal Volcano erupts.

The exercise familiarized stakeholders with the disaster response “playbook,” including pickup points where Batangas residents will be fetched for evacuation in Cavite.

The simulation also included a protocol on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing system for evacuees.