By Genalyn Kabiling President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to visit the areas affected by Taal Volcano’s activity this coming Monday. Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo
(OPS / MANILA BULLETIN) Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the President wanted to see the situation of the places hit by Taal’s ash explosion and distribute relief goods to the displaced families. "All the major agencies and department agencies are going to attend. He will visit the affected areas," he said in an interview with reporters at the Palace Friday. Panelo said the President recently paid a short visit to Batangas City, but this time he wanted to make rounds in other areas hit by the volcanic activity. Last Tuesday, Duterte visited Batangas City where he held a Taal situation briefing and gave relief items to families staying at one of the evacuation centers. "Sandali lang kami doon. Nag situation briefing lang kami. This time talagang iikot siya..para alam na niya ano ang sitwasyon doon, at kung kailangan magdagdag ng whatever measures gagawin niya kaagad (We didn’t stay long the last time, we just attended the situation briefing. This time he will really go around to find out the real situation and implement whatever measures that are needed),” Panelo said. In his visit to Batangas early this week, the President ordered the relevant government agencies to continue disaster response and relief efforts in the affected places until the crisis is over. He also suggested resorting to the "primitive" ritual of making an offering to Taal Volcano to ease its unrest. "Maybe you have failed to make some offerings there. You should go there and say a little prayer and offer something," he said in jest. "Let's go by the primitive way of doing it like our forefathers...make some offering, it might be true then, it might be true now."