Batangas approves lockdown of Talisay after Taal eruption

BATANGAS, Philippines – Authorities in this province approved a request for a total lockdown of Talisay town after residents have been disregarding evacuation warnings following the eruption of Taal Volcano. 

Talisay Mayor Gerry Natanauan called Tuesday morning, January 14, to ask for the lockdown just before the briefing of the Regional Incident Management Team (RIMT) in Fernando Air Base in Lipa City,

His request was approved and the RIMT deputized units of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to implement the lockdown. 

“May mga residente kasi ng Talisay na bumabalik sa kanilang mga bahay para i-check ang kanilang mga gamit at mga alagang hayop na pawang napaka delikado” William Lipit, RIMT operations chief said.

(There were residents of Talisay who have returned to their houses to check the property and livestock. This is very dangerous.)

A total lockdown means nobody would be allowed to enter the municipality to return to their homes until such time that the area is declared out of danger.

Talisay is considered the gateway to Taal Volcano and is one of the hardest hit by ash fall, together with neighboring towns Laurel, Agoncillo, and San Nicolas.

Pampanga offers help

Meanwhile, Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda, who attended the Tuesday morning briefing of the Batangas PDRRMC, vowed to support the province of Batangas during the eruption of Taal.

“Nandito po kaming mga Kapampangan upang tumulong dito sa probinsya ng Batangas. Kung maalala ‘nyo na ang katatayuan ‘nyo ngayon ay naging problema na rin namin noon. Naniniwala ako na sa ating pagtutulungan bilang Pilipino ay malalampasan po natin ito, ” Pineda said.

(We, Kapampangans, are here to help Batangas province. If you will recall, what you are going through was also our problem before. We believe that as long as we Filipinos help each other, we can survive this.)

Pampanga was gravely hit by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991. – Rappler.com