HARDLY had people living near Taal Volcano returned to normal lives and it seems now they are likely to pack up anew their belongings and heed to shelters or evacuation centers.
Tsk, tsk, tsk...life really is so unfair for some Batangueños who happen to have settled their abode near Taal Volcano which has been showing restiveness anew for two straight days since late Thursday where it hit 15K plus tonnes of toxic sulfur dioxide flux.
Friday morning it went down a bit, just a little, to 12,257 tonnes as recorded and reported by Phivolcs but still treble off the normal amount or level of at least 4,000 tonnes/day as explained by Phivolcs before.
And with this, residents are told to take necessary precautions, protective measures from inhalation of SO2 emissions and vog (volcanic smog).
It may be recalled that it was only last July 23, 2021 that Phivolcs lowered Alert Level at Taal to No. 2 and allowed evacuees to trace their steps back home.
And now, barely a month had passed, here they are again, readying things up and ready to flee and heed to shelters anew on short notice.
It would be a lot easier for them in the absence of the threat of the highly contagious Delta Variant, which, unfortunately, two individuals (mother and child) came up positive of the said virus in Bauan.
As it is, even without the threat of Covid, living in shelters or evacuation centers is a daily struggle away from one’s comfort zone, home.
And this time, evacuation seems likely, a big possibility per Phivolcs based on their previous observation of Taal’s July 1, 2021 eruption.
Days before July 1, escalation of SO2 emissions were also monitored until it spewed a record-high 22K+ tonnes of SO2 flux that all but prompted Phivolcs and local government units to order the immediate evacuation of barangays located within the 7-km danger zone.
But it's good to note, the 2022 national elections are just around the corner, as such, we can all rest assured relief of goods may not be hard to come by should an evacuation happens again.
But of course, in fairness, with or without the fast-approaching elections, generous and kind-hearted individuals and private companies are almost always instantly there with their helping hand.
I’d prefer though for Taal to remain calm and quiet and spare people from fleeing their homes, especially amid the pandemic.
So help us, God.
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