Government must issue more regular Taal Volcano updates over the twice-a-day situationers that the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has been releasing, Senator Kiko Pangilinan said.
“Considering that Phivolcs raised alert level 2 to 4 in just two hours last January 12, we issue an urgent appeal to government to issue bulletins every one or two hours to prevent panic and keep the public informed and more aware,” said Pangilinan, who was in Alfonso, Cavite to distribute relief goods and portalets from his office and the UP community to the affected residents.
“Issue bulletins every one or two hours to prevent panic and keep the public informed and more aware.”
“An informed people is an empowered people. Mas makakagalaw nang mas maayos ang ating mga kababayan kung alam nila ang nangyayari. Sa sama-sama nating pagkilos rin natin masisiguro na wala o mababang casualty rate sa pagsabog ng Taal Volcano at sa anumang disaster na kinakaharap natin,” the veteran legislator added.
Phivolcs said nearly 700 volcanic earthquakes have been recorded since Taal Volcano emitted plumes of steam and ash on January 12, indicating continuous magmatic intrusion beneath the volcano.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) initially reported that about half a million people are within the radius of the 14-kilometer danger zone.