President Rodrigo Duterte guaranteed that the newly-made evacuation centers in Batangas that are meant as temporary shelters would be helpful for the Filipinos in case another disaster set foot. 

This is after the Taal Volcano brought another eruption that bothers the people living near the volcano. 

“Now that we are experiencing challenges brought by the recent eruptions of Taal Volcano, I am confident that the evacuation center in Mataasnakahoy would be of great service to our affected kababayans,” Duterte said during his speech in Batangas. 

The Mataasnakahoy evacuation center is located outside the danger zone of Taal Volcano and the other two evacuation centers are in Barangay Teresita and Alitagtag. 

The president also expressed his confidence in the government’s responses in establishing infrastructures and mandating their obligation as public servants without politicizing. 

“We have likewise institutionalized long-term solutions for our kababayans even without finding a need to politicize our mandate as public servants.” He said. 

Duterte also added that they can withstand any obstacles and problems that are arising and to see how Filipinos maintain their momentum to overcome just to build a better nation. 

“Now that I’m already at the tail-end of my term as president, we see how our shared values and vision towards progress and prosperity bear fruition. With our strength and solidarity we can overcome all the forms of trials and problems that test our character,” he added.

Meanwhile, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Eduardo del Rosario led the inauguration and the turnover of 3 evacuation centers to their respective Local Government Units (LGU). 

The construction of these evacuation centers has been completed after the DHSUD signed a memorandum of agreement that leads to establishing the evacuation centers in areas that have been affected by the Taal Volcano last 2020. 

The three evacuation centers are strategically located on safe grounds beyond the 14-kilometer danger zones — Barangay Calayaan, Sta. Teresita; Barangay San Juan, Alitagtag; and Barangay Dos, Mataasnakahoy.

The project, according to Del Rosario, was part of the administration’s response back in 2020 when the Taal Volcano erupted. 

Taal Volcano remained on alert level 3 after the March 26 phreatomagmatic eruption. 

Photo Credit: Facebook.com/pcoogov