Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 5) — President Rodrigo Duterte has approved giving thousands of housing units originally allocated for police officers and soldiers to families displaced by the Taal Volcano eruption, his spokesperson said on Wednesday.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte on Tuesday granted the request of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development to offer 5,448 of these housing units located in Batangas, Laguna, Cavite, and Quezon. These homes will be given to the over 5,000 families living within the seven-kilometer radius of the restive volcano’s crater.
The government has barred people from returning to the island where Taal Volcano stands after Taal’s steam- and magma-laden eruption on January 12. There are permanent settlements on the island, which is frequently visited by tourists despite it being categorized as a permanent danger zone even prior to its eruption.
State volcanologists have warned residents not to go inside the seven-kilometer radius because there is a slim chance of survival for anyone who happens to be there when an eruption occurs.
Alert Level 3 remains over Taal Volcano as state volcanologists continue to record weak emissions of steam-laden plumes and over a hundred volcanic earthquakes, which signifies magma is still moving under the crater.
