Former Vice President and senatorial aspirant Jejomar Binay urged the national government on Monday, March 28, to hasten the distribution of aid and ensure the long-term rehabilitation of communities affected by Taal Volcano eruption.
Binay aired his concern amid the volcano's renewed activity on Saturday, March 26, which prompted the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to raise the volcano's alert level to 3.
Alert level 3 means that the volcano is having magmatic unrest and increased activity.
Phivolcs advised residents of Taal Volcano Island and high-risk barangays of Bilibinwang and Banyaga, Agoncillo and Boso-boso, Gulod and eastern Bugaan East, Laurel in Batangas province to evacuated due to possible hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami should stronger eruptions occur.
Binay noted that residents in these affected areas have yet to fully recover from Taal’s eruption in 2020. Just recently, some 4,000 residents have been displaced by the volcano’s renewed activity.
“Hanggang ngayon, maraming mga residente na nag-evacuate dahil sa pagputok ng bulkan noong 2020 ang wala pa ring trabaho (Until now, many residents who had evacuated because of the volcano's explosion in 2020 are still jobless)," Binay said.
“They have lost their jobs and source of livelihood. And those who were evacuated from danger zones have not been provided with new homes,” he added.
During his recent visit to these areas in February, Binay said residents had complained that they have not been provided housing and livelihood opportunities as promised by the national government.
The former VP said that aside from helping residents with their basic needs, the national government needs a long-term program to help them and their communities.
In March last year, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) told a House hearing that 86 percent - or P36.1 billion - of the P42 billion rehabilitation program for Taal has not been funded.
A NEDA official had said priority funding was given to programs to fight COVID-19, and that revenues were low.
Binay explained that with the economy starting to recover, the government should give priority to the rehabilitation of Taal communities, as well as those devastated by typhoon Odette.
Localities in Central Visayas devastated by typhoon Odette are still struggling to restore services and repair infrastructure, while most residents have yet to find jobs, he said.
“Kapag may kalamidad o trahedya, dapat nandyan agad ang gobyerno (In times of disaster and calamities, the government should always be present). Government should not only provide those affected by calamities their basic needs but the resources for their long-term recovery,” he said.