PH Red Cross conducts evacuation, 24/7 monitoring in Batangas amid Taal unrest
By Dhel Nazario
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) will continue to monitor the situation through its 24-hour Operations Center and its specially trained ‘143’ volunteers in Batangas, amid the continued unrest of Taal Volcano.

In a statement on Sunday, March 27, PRC said that it immediately sprang into action after the Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) raised the warning status of Taal Volcano from Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 3.
It added that immediate response during this type of disaster is nothing new to them as they started pre-emptive evacuations right after their rapid assessment called for urgent action.
The organization stated that it had sent three assessment teams to three towns: Laurel, Agoncillo, and San Nicolas to coordinate with the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) and Local Government Units (LGUs) while 17 Evacuation Centers opened for 788 families or 2,832 individuals.
PRC said that as early as 11 a.m. on March 26, armed with 6x6 trucks and ambulances, they were ready to assist at the following open evacuation centers (EC) and their evacuees: Laurel: nine ECs with 364 families or 1,277 individuals; Agoncillo: five ECs with 298 families or 1,088 individuals; Alitagtag: one EC with 13 families or 1,088 individuals; Cuenca: one EC with four families or 17 individuals; San Luis: one Ec with one family or 4 individuals.
“The Red Cross is always ready with supplies, assets, and life-saving equipment already in position at any of our local chapters because we know the value of being prepared and how every second counts when lives are at stake,” PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Senator Dick Gordon said.
PRC also mentioned first-aid and welfare desk teams will be established as needed at different ECs while the Hot Meals on Wheels food trucks are being prepped to provide ready-to-eat hot meals for the evacuees.