Taal exodus: Residents tell stories of escape
Various areas in Batangas have turned into ghost towns on Monday as thousands of residents continued to evacuate their houses after ashfalls from the erupting Taal Volcano blanketed many parts of the province.
Residents in all towns and cities were prompted to wear face masks and other protective gears to avoid the hazardous effects of ashfalls, while motorists had to be extra cautious in driving as they experienced zero visibility along the way.
The stretch of General Malvar Avenue from Santo Tomas town to Talisay looked deserted during the wee hours of Monday as people were advised to remain indoors and only few cars, mostly emergency vehicles transporting evacuees, were passing through the area.
On the other hand, inches-thick ashes filled the air of Diversion Road – from Taal to Agoncillo – and covered almost everything, including houses, cars, trees, road signs, and stoplights.
Amid the situation, charity and the spirit of Filipino “bayanihan” prevailed in the province as people were offering free car wash in many areas. Some were also using shovels to remove slippery mud covering the roads, which was caused by ash falls and incessant rains.
“Kawang-gawa lang. Sino ba magtutulungan kundi tayo rin?” a resident offering free car wash on Gen. Malvar Avenue said.
Vehicles had to be driven at slow speed as they wiggled due to wet and muddy roads, particularly on the way to Talisay, which was beside a cliff.
Thousands of residents were evacuated outside the 14-km. radius of Taal Volcano after its activity reached 4th alarm by 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Among them was 28-year-old Diana Fernandez, who lives in a mountain-village in Talisay. She was among the evacuees at the Santo Tomas Gymnasium.
“Nasa bundok kasi kami, kumbaga malayo sa Taal. Hindi naman namin inisip na lalala pa pala,” she said. “Wala talaga kami planong lumusong.”
“E nararamdmaan namin, ‘yung mga puno, nababali kasi syempre mabigat ‘yung mga putik. Kaya lumikas na kami,” she added.
Emily Marqueses, 38, also from Talisay, said they were forced to evacuate as it was no longer safe both inside and outside their house.
“Tuwing 5 minutes, nalindol po eh. Doon po ako natakot nang husto. Kasi walang choice, kapag nalabas ka para safe, naulan naman ng putik at bato. Tapos mananatili ka naman sa loob, nalindol naman,” she added.
Marqueses was among the hundreds of evacuees at the city evacuation center of Santo Tomas.
“Isa sa mga kailangan namin dito ay matutulugan,” said Elmer Centeno, head of Santo Tomas Disaster Risk Reduction Management office, “Kasi sa karton lang natutulog mga tao.”
While many residents were taken out of their homes early, some still had to wait overnight and witnessed the nightmare brought by the eruption before they could evacuate.
“Grabe ang naputol na puno samin. Na-trap kami. Matindi na ang yanig. Bundok na nga kami nililindol pa kami,” Ginas de Ramos, 53, from mountain-village of Sitio Latag in Tumaway, said.
“Wala nang tulugan simula noon, hindi na kami kumain,” added de Ramos, who was with her husband and three children waiting for an evacuation vehicle at the municipal hall of Talisay around 6:30 a.m. on Monday.
De Ramos was also with their Dachsund dog, Frodol, which had been vomiting since Sunday after “inhaling ashes spewed by the volcano.”
“May isa pa kaming asong naiwan sa bahay. Pinipilit n’ya ngang sumama kaso hindi pwede kasi masyado syang malaki,” she recalled in between sobs.
Like de Ramos family, John Rey Fuente, 15, also evacuated their home in Banga just by daybreak because they “could not see the roads, which were covered by muds.”
“Ngayon lang kami nakaalis dahil di namin kayang lumusong, bundok pa po kasi. Tapos maputik pa saka madilim,” he said.
“May napuputol na mga puno sa tabi ng bahay. Ngayon lang naghintuan ang mga ulan na putik,” he added.
Fuente was carrying several clothes and a flat screen television, which he would bring to the evacuation area.
By 12 noon, houses along the Agoncillo-Laurel Road was already abandoned by residents. Only police, fire and military personnel were in the area.
Authorities are eyeing the evacuation of more than 200,000 people if Taal Volcano goes on a hazardous eruption amid its continuous rumblings since Sunday.
“The figure 200,000 is our projected number of evacuees if a major eruption occur. These are the people living within 14-15 kilometer danger zone in Batangas,” according to Joselito Castro, head of the Batangas Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).