Tagaytay back in business
Published Jan 18, 2020 12:00 am
By Anthony Giron, Alexandria San Juan, and Aaron Recuenco
TAGAYTAY CITY, Cavite - The local government has considered the reopening of business establishments, including hotels and restaurants, in this city, that are clean and ready to serve the public.
People watch from Tagaytay, Cavite province, south of Manila, as Taal Volcano continues to spew ash (AP/Aaron Favila)
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Renato Solidum Jr said that there is still intense activity underneath the volcano as quakes continue to jolt the area which means that a significant volume of magma is moving up.
Alert Level 4 remains over Taal which means hazardous eruption is still within days.
Phivolcs said "steady steam emission and infrequent weak explosions" were observed in the main crater of Taal in the past 24 hours, generating 50 to 600-meter tall white to dirty white ash plumes that dispersed ash southwest of the Main Crater.
"Nandyan pa rin yung intense activity na may magma na umaakyat at posibleng magdulot ng mapanganib na pagsabog. Naiiba yung nakikita natin sa taas at ang nangyayari sa ilalim," Solidum said.
Mayor Agnes Delgado-Tolentino approved on Friday a resolution granting the request of the City Tourism Council to allow establishments to open and serve residents and tourists.
Hotels, restaurants, and other establishments in the city have temporarily closed, on recommendation of the authorities, in line with safety and health measures. Tagaytay is one of the cities in Cavite hit by heavy ash fall when Taal volcano in neighboring Batangas erupted last Sunday. Cavite is the province nearest Batangas.
Tagaytay, a prime tourist destination, has 2,870 business establishments in 34 barangays (villages).
The Business and Licensing Office said there are 57 hotels, 157 restaurants, including those in the so-called One Place Destination Strip on Aguinaldo Highway, 99 Mabuhay Accommodations or lodging houses/room-for-rents, 31 spas and wellness centers, 30 events places/coffee shops, and 13 amusement places, resorts, and travel tour centers.
Tagaytay Tourism Council President Remedios Ramsay said she recommended to the city government the reopening of the establishments as the authorities said Tagaytay Ridge "does not need to be evacuated," citing its elevation.
Tagaytay is the highest area in Cavite and is about 14 kilometers away from Taal volcano.
The Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported that one side of Tagaytay was hit by heavy ash fall due to the wind direction when the volcano erupted last Sunday while the other side, covered by fruit plantations and other crops, was only hit minimally.
"Puro ashes lang naman, so more on cleaning lang ang inaano namin ngayon. But as of now, maybe they (establishments) can even open next week," Ramsay said in an interview.
Ramsay, the mother of actor Derek Ramsay, has long been involved in the activities of the Tagaytay tourism council.
The local tourism and the city establishments earlier asked the Department of Tourism (DOT) to consider the reopening of hotels, restaurants, and other businesses in the city.
Mayor Tolentino approved the request of the local tourism council after she met with members of the city council last Wednesday at the Tagaytay International Convention Center.
The restaurants or eateries have to guarantee that their surroundings are clean, with working or assisting personnel and safe food, among other criteria.
City hall will monitor the establishments to see if business rules and regulations are complied with.
As of Friday, Tourism Officer Jelanne R. Mendoza said 12 establishments, mostly restaurants, in Barangay Maharlika, Kaybagal, and Crossing Mendez have already opened to serve the public.
A number of hotels have reportedly resumed operations.
Officials, including Cavite Rep. Abraham N. Tolentino and his elder brother Sen. Francis Tolentino, are constantly monitoring the situation in Tagaytay and other areas affected by ash fall.
Rep. Tolentino, a long-time mayor of Tagaytay, has expressed confidence that tourism will return to the city sooner given the ongoing developments and progress.
The city engineering department and other concerned offices are now working on clearing and cleaning operations on streets and buildings in the city.
"After the cleanup, (local and foreign) tourists will visit Tagaytay for sure," Tolentino said.
The officials foresee that more hotels, restaurants and other establishments will open "in one week or two weeks."
The DOT adjudged Tagaytay in 2019 as the top tourist destination in Region IV-A (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) area, considering the volume of local and foreign tourist arrivals in the city during the year.
Lull
Phivolcs director Renato Solidum Jr., said intense activity is still happening underneath the volcano as volcanic earthquakes continued to rattle the area, which means that a significant volume of magma could be moving upward.
"Nandyan pa rin yung intense activity na may magma na umaakyat at posibleng magdulot ng mapanganib na pagsabog. Naiiba yung nakikita natin sa taas at ang nangyayari sa ilalim," Solidum said.
876 volcanic quakes
According to Solidum, 32 volcanic earthquakes were plotted by the Philippine Seismic Network near the volcano from Friday morning to Saturday morning, registered at magnitudes 1.5 to 3.3.
This brings the total number of volcanic tremors recorded to 666 since afternoon of January 12. At least 174 of these registered at magnitudes 1.2 to 4.1 and were felt at Intensities I to V.
The Taal Volcano Network, which can detect low-frequency tremors, has recorded 876 volcanic earthquakes within the Taal Volcano Island, including six tremor events and 20 low-frequency earthquakes.
Solidum said that such intense seismic activity likely signifies continuous magmatic intrusion beneath the Taal edifice, which may lead to explosive eruption.
Solidum said the agency is continuously monitoring Taal Volcano to check if there is a downward trend in its activity, but the Phivolcs chief noted that the threat of a hazardous eruption still remains.
"Kailangan nating tingnan mabuti at mag-observe pa tayo kung patigil na ba talaga ang galaw ng magma. Pero wala pa tayong nakikita, through our Taal Volcano Monitoring Network, na humihina ito,"
"At habang mayroon pang paggalaw ng magma sa ilalim, ibig sabihin hindi pa talaga ito humuhupa,"
Lake dries up
Taal Volcano continued to spew ash and steam at least a week after its phreatic (steam-driven) eruption surprising residents and tourists visiting the picturesque lake.
The 50,000-foot ash cloud blanketed nearby towns, including parts of Metro Manila, Calabarzon, and reaching as far as Central Luzon, forcing residents in the 14-kilometer danger zone to immediately evacuate to safer places.
Days after the eruption, fissures or cracks on the ground were found in several barangays in Batangas particulary in Sambal Ibaba, Sinisian, Mahabang Dahilig, Dayapan, Palanas, Sangalang, Poblacion, and Mataas na Bayan in Lemery; Pansipit and Bilibinwang in Agoncillo; Poblacion 1, Poblacion 2, Poblacion 3, and Poblacion 5 in Talisay; and Poblacion in San Nicolas.
A wide fissure was also spotted across the road connecting the municipalities of Agoncillo and Laurel in Batangas.
The week-long incessant quakes have widened the fissures which is reportedly due to the intrusion of magma into the volcano’s edifice.
On Wednesday, Phivolcs said the volcano’s Main Crater Lake has vaporized, while portions of the Pansipit River, which is the sole drainage outlet of Taal Lake that empties to Balayan bay, was drying up.
Phivolcs officials said the series of volcanic quakes caused the water in the lake to drain.
Total evacuation
With the threats of more volcanic hazards, PHIVOLCS pressed for total evacuation of Taal Volcano Island and high-risk areas within the 14-kilometer radius from the main crater and along the Pansipit River Valley where fissures had been observed.
Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas has mobilized virtually all local government employees down to the barangay level as the number of evacuees continued to swell amid the mandatory evacuation being implemented to clear the 14-kilometer danger zone of residents.
As of Saturday morning, a total of 162, 178 people from 37,186 families have been moved out of their homes and transferred to nearly 500 evacuation centers in Batangas, Laguna, Cavite and Quezon.
The objective is to clear the 14-kilometer danger zone radius which is feared to be within striking distance of a lateral explosion, or base surge, of the Taal Volcano which happened in the past.
Base surges, according to the United States Geological Service, are ring-shaped cloud of gas and suspended solid debris that move radially outward at high velocity from the base of a vertical eruption column.
In its 14 recorded eruption since 1641, at least six of them include base surges—the most devastating were the 1911 and 1965 eruptions.
Based on the initial data of the Batangas Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), at least 300,000 residents from two cities and 12 towns near Taal Volcano will have to be evacuated in order to secure them from possible base surges.
Mandanas said that he had already directed all city and town mayors of Batangas province to tap the services of barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars, Day Care workers and even the parent-leaders to assist in taking care of the evacuees.
“They were instructed to be involved in the disaster operations continuously being conducted for evacuees in their respective areas,” said Mandanas.
There are more than 400 evacuation centers in Batangas province. Thousands of evacuees were also accommodated in the towns and cities of Laguna, Cavite and Quezon provinces which are near the boundary of Batangas.
Mandanas told the Manila Bulletin that the mandatory evacuation will continue until such time that the Philipine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) would lower the alert level over the Taal Volcano.
People watch from Tagaytay, Cavite province, south of Manila, as Taal Volcano continues to spew ash (AP/Aaron Favila)
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Renato Solidum Jr said that there is still intense activity underneath the volcano as quakes continue to jolt the area which means that a significant volume of magma is moving up.
Alert Level 4 remains over Taal which means hazardous eruption is still within days.
Phivolcs said "steady steam emission and infrequent weak explosions" were observed in the main crater of Taal in the past 24 hours, generating 50 to 600-meter tall white to dirty white ash plumes that dispersed ash southwest of the Main Crater.
"Nandyan pa rin yung intense activity na may magma na umaakyat at posibleng magdulot ng mapanganib na pagsabog. Naiiba yung nakikita natin sa taas at ang nangyayari sa ilalim," Solidum said.
Mayor Agnes Delgado-Tolentino approved on Friday a resolution granting the request of the City Tourism Council to allow establishments to open and serve residents and tourists.
Hotels, restaurants, and other establishments in the city have temporarily closed, on recommendation of the authorities, in line with safety and health measures. Tagaytay is one of the cities in Cavite hit by heavy ash fall when Taal volcano in neighboring Batangas erupted last Sunday. Cavite is the province nearest Batangas.
Tagaytay, a prime tourist destination, has 2,870 business establishments in 34 barangays (villages).
The Business and Licensing Office said there are 57 hotels, 157 restaurants, including those in the so-called One Place Destination Strip on Aguinaldo Highway, 99 Mabuhay Accommodations or lodging houses/room-for-rents, 31 spas and wellness centers, 30 events places/coffee shops, and 13 amusement places, resorts, and travel tour centers.
Tagaytay Tourism Council President Remedios Ramsay said she recommended to the city government the reopening of the establishments as the authorities said Tagaytay Ridge "does not need to be evacuated," citing its elevation.
Tagaytay is the highest area in Cavite and is about 14 kilometers away from Taal volcano.
The Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported that one side of Tagaytay was hit by heavy ash fall due to the wind direction when the volcano erupted last Sunday while the other side, covered by fruit plantations and other crops, was only hit minimally.
"Puro ashes lang naman, so more on cleaning lang ang inaano namin ngayon. But as of now, maybe they (establishments) can even open next week," Ramsay said in an interview.
Ramsay, the mother of actor Derek Ramsay, has long been involved in the activities of the Tagaytay tourism council.
The local tourism and the city establishments earlier asked the Department of Tourism (DOT) to consider the reopening of hotels, restaurants, and other businesses in the city.
Mayor Tolentino approved the request of the local tourism council after she met with members of the city council last Wednesday at the Tagaytay International Convention Center.
The restaurants or eateries have to guarantee that their surroundings are clean, with working or assisting personnel and safe food, among other criteria.
City hall will monitor the establishments to see if business rules and regulations are complied with.
As of Friday, Tourism Officer Jelanne R. Mendoza said 12 establishments, mostly restaurants, in Barangay Maharlika, Kaybagal, and Crossing Mendez have already opened to serve the public.
A number of hotels have reportedly resumed operations.
Officials, including Cavite Rep. Abraham N. Tolentino and his elder brother Sen. Francis Tolentino, are constantly monitoring the situation in Tagaytay and other areas affected by ash fall.
Rep. Tolentino, a long-time mayor of Tagaytay, has expressed confidence that tourism will return to the city sooner given the ongoing developments and progress.
The city engineering department and other concerned offices are now working on clearing and cleaning operations on streets and buildings in the city.
"After the cleanup, (local and foreign) tourists will visit Tagaytay for sure," Tolentino said.
The officials foresee that more hotels, restaurants and other establishments will open "in one week or two weeks."
The DOT adjudged Tagaytay in 2019 as the top tourist destination in Region IV-A (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) area, considering the volume of local and foreign tourist arrivals in the city during the year.
Lull
Phivolcs director Renato Solidum Jr., said intense activity is still happening underneath the volcano as volcanic earthquakes continued to rattle the area, which means that a significant volume of magma could be moving upward.
"Nandyan pa rin yung intense activity na may magma na umaakyat at posibleng magdulot ng mapanganib na pagsabog. Naiiba yung nakikita natin sa taas at ang nangyayari sa ilalim," Solidum said.
876 volcanic quakes
According to Solidum, 32 volcanic earthquakes were plotted by the Philippine Seismic Network near the volcano from Friday morning to Saturday morning, registered at magnitudes 1.5 to 3.3.
This brings the total number of volcanic tremors recorded to 666 since afternoon of January 12. At least 174 of these registered at magnitudes 1.2 to 4.1 and were felt at Intensities I to V.
The Taal Volcano Network, which can detect low-frequency tremors, has recorded 876 volcanic earthquakes within the Taal Volcano Island, including six tremor events and 20 low-frequency earthquakes.
Solidum said that such intense seismic activity likely signifies continuous magmatic intrusion beneath the Taal edifice, which may lead to explosive eruption.
Solidum said the agency is continuously monitoring Taal Volcano to check if there is a downward trend in its activity, but the Phivolcs chief noted that the threat of a hazardous eruption still remains.
"Kailangan nating tingnan mabuti at mag-observe pa tayo kung patigil na ba talaga ang galaw ng magma. Pero wala pa tayong nakikita, through our Taal Volcano Monitoring Network, na humihina ito,"
"At habang mayroon pang paggalaw ng magma sa ilalim, ibig sabihin hindi pa talaga ito humuhupa,"
Lake dries up
Taal Volcano continued to spew ash and steam at least a week after its phreatic (steam-driven) eruption surprising residents and tourists visiting the picturesque lake.
The 50,000-foot ash cloud blanketed nearby towns, including parts of Metro Manila, Calabarzon, and reaching as far as Central Luzon, forcing residents in the 14-kilometer danger zone to immediately evacuate to safer places.
Days after the eruption, fissures or cracks on the ground were found in several barangays in Batangas particulary in Sambal Ibaba, Sinisian, Mahabang Dahilig, Dayapan, Palanas, Sangalang, Poblacion, and Mataas na Bayan in Lemery; Pansipit and Bilibinwang in Agoncillo; Poblacion 1, Poblacion 2, Poblacion 3, and Poblacion 5 in Talisay; and Poblacion in San Nicolas.
A wide fissure was also spotted across the road connecting the municipalities of Agoncillo and Laurel in Batangas.
The week-long incessant quakes have widened the fissures which is reportedly due to the intrusion of magma into the volcano’s edifice.
On Wednesday, Phivolcs said the volcano’s Main Crater Lake has vaporized, while portions of the Pansipit River, which is the sole drainage outlet of Taal Lake that empties to Balayan bay, was drying up.
Phivolcs officials said the series of volcanic quakes caused the water in the lake to drain.
Total evacuation
With the threats of more volcanic hazards, PHIVOLCS pressed for total evacuation of Taal Volcano Island and high-risk areas within the 14-kilometer radius from the main crater and along the Pansipit River Valley where fissures had been observed.
Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas has mobilized virtually all local government employees down to the barangay level as the number of evacuees continued to swell amid the mandatory evacuation being implemented to clear the 14-kilometer danger zone of residents.
As of Saturday morning, a total of 162, 178 people from 37,186 families have been moved out of their homes and transferred to nearly 500 evacuation centers in Batangas, Laguna, Cavite and Quezon.
The objective is to clear the 14-kilometer danger zone radius which is feared to be within striking distance of a lateral explosion, or base surge, of the Taal Volcano which happened in the past.
Base surges, according to the United States Geological Service, are ring-shaped cloud of gas and suspended solid debris that move radially outward at high velocity from the base of a vertical eruption column.
In its 14 recorded eruption since 1641, at least six of them include base surges—the most devastating were the 1911 and 1965 eruptions.
Based on the initial data of the Batangas Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), at least 300,000 residents from two cities and 12 towns near Taal Volcano will have to be evacuated in order to secure them from possible base surges.
Mandanas said that he had already directed all city and town mayors of Batangas province to tap the services of barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars, Day Care workers and even the parent-leaders to assist in taking care of the evacuees.
“They were instructed to be involved in the disaster operations continuously being conducted for evacuees in their respective areas,” said Mandanas.
There are more than 400 evacuation centers in Batangas province. Thousands of evacuees were also accommodated in the towns and cities of Laguna, Cavite and Quezon provinces which are near the boundary of Batangas.
Mandanas told the Manila Bulletin that the mandatory evacuation will continue until such time that the Philipine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) would lower the alert level over the Taal Volcano.