22,000 homes needed to resettle Taal evacuees –Batangas' Mandanas

Around 22,000 new houses were needed to resettle Batangas locals whose homes were damaged by the phreatic eruption of Taal Volcano, the province's governor said Sunday.

Governor Hermilando Mandanas said the figure was an estimate based on initial assessments.

“Sa ngayon, 22,000 bahay [ang] hindi na mababalikan. Sira na. Hindi lang sira—hindi na dapat balikan pa,” Mandanas said in a press briefing.

Lito Castro, chief of the Batangas Provincial Disaster Management Office, said they would conduct a rapid damage assessment to verify the number of houses damaged by the Taal Volcano eruption.

Mandanas added that they had identified a resettlement area for the residents whose homes were totally damaged, but the entire process could take up to two years.

“Meron na tayong resettlement area pero hindi pa tapos ang mga kalsada, kuryente, tubig. Bago matapos, ‘yun ay dalawang taon dahil ang ating tunay na resettlement area, kailangan din may hanapbuhay,” he explained.

The governor assured residents that Magiting Centers would be put up in areas affected by the eruption to provide basic necessities such as food.

The Taal Volcano had a phreatic or steam-driven eruption last January 12.

On Sunday morning, the Alert Level over the volcano was lowered from Level 4 (hazardous eruption imminent) to Level 3 (decreased tendency towards hazardous eruption).  — Julia Mari Ornedo/DVM, GMA News