It was what appeared to be another case of “déjà vu” for many students in Laguna province.
A total of 345 schools in Laguna province were forced to suspend classes last Monday, August 19, after an incident of volcanic smog (vog) being emitted from Taal Volcano in Batangas the previous day.
Data released by the Department of Education (DepEd) reported that 230,754 Lagunense students were affected by the class suspensions, which lasted until Tuesday (August 20) when Laguna Governor Ramil Hernandez decided to suspend face-to-face classes for the entire province.
However, this does not mean that students missed their studies, as many schools implemented alternative delivery modes such as online classes during the days classes were suspended.
Dangerous vog
According to the 24-hour observation made by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Taal Volcano released at 12 a.m. Monday, the volcano is on alert level 1 or low-level unrest.
Taal was observed to be emitting 3,355 tonnes of sulfur dioxide flux per day since Thursday August 15, resulting in vog.
Vog is composed of sulfur dioxide gas and other volcanic gases, and mixed with atmospheric oxygen, dust or ashes, and sunlight.
It can cause irritations of the eyes, throat, and nose, especially for vulnerable persons such as senior citizens and individuals with respiratory problems.
"Our regional counterpart is continuously monitoring the situation on the AOR (area of responsibility) considering the vog formation reported in the provinces of Batangas, Cavite and Laguna and continuously coordinating with DOST (Department of Science and Technology)-Phivolcs, DENR-EMB (Department of Environment and Natural Resouces-Environmental Management Bureau) Calabarzon and various LDRRMOs (local disaster risk reduction and management offices) to assess the situation and provide corresponding support once needed," the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said in a statement.
(With report from PNA)
Photo Courtesy: CTV News
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