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Philippines Situation Report #3 - January 31, 2020

Pays
Philippines
Sources
IMC
Date de publication

FAST FACTS

• PHIVOLCs has reduced the alert level status for the Taal Volcano to Level 3.

• Residents living outside of the 4.3-mile danger zone can now return to their homes, though many homes are no longer safe to inhabit.

SITUATION AT A GLANCE

• Priority needs include nonfood items, including hygiene/dignity kits, WASH items for evacuation centers and relocation sites, and mental health and psychosocial support.

SITUATION UPDATE

On January 26, the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) lowered the alert status of the Taal Volcano from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3 to reflect the overall decrease in volcanic activity. Alert Level 3 means that there is a decreased tendency toward hazardous explosive eruption, but volcanic activity has not ceased. The volcano continues to produce weak steam emissions of white to dirty-white plumes. The Philippines Seismic Network (PSN) has reported a total of 763 volcanic earthquakes since January 12. Of those, 177 registered with magnitudes of M1.2–M4.1 and were felt at intensities from I–V on the Mercalli scale.

With the decreased level of alert, residents living outside of the 4.3-mile (7 km) danger zone can now return to their homes. However, access to the Agoncillo and Laurel communities and to Batangas province remains restricted, and Taal Island remains on permanent lockdown. Those returning to there homes are finding their structures insecure or heavily damaged, and are opting to work at their homes during the day and return to the evacuation centers at night. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) reports that more than 384,000 people were affected by the volcano’s eruption, with more than 308,000 people temporarily seeking shelter in evacuation centers and host communities.

With regards to infrastructure, nine road sections had been reported as closed due to damage and/or debris. As of January 28, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that five of those road sections have been cleared and are now open to traffic, while four remain closed due to their location within the evacuation zone. The NDRRMC also reports that all reported areas have had power and water supply restored in impacted areas.

The volcanic activity comes on the heels of Typhoon Phanfone (known locally as Typhoon Ursula), which made landfall on December 24, 2019. As of January 10, more than 2.3 million people have been affected by the typhoon, including at least 38,860 individuals who were displaced. Over the past month, the number of people taking shelter in the temporary evacuation centers has declined. As of January 29, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported that there is only one family taking temporary shelter in one evacuation center in Region VI.2 However, an estimated 26,400 people are staying with family and friends. As residents outside of the evacuation zone return home, the number of damaged homes reported continues to rise. The DSWD has reported that, so far, 516,885 homes have been recorded as having suffered damage in the storms.

In response to the disasters, the national government is leading recovery efforts, in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross and other governmental departments.