This Week in Southern Luzon (February 27 to March 5, 2021)

After recent activities shown by the Taal Volcano, the local government of Batangas prohibited entry to the volcano island without permission from the authorities. Batangas Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Chief Lito Castro said that a police desk had been set up on Talisay’s lakeshore to register anyone who wanted to go to the volcano island. Anyone who seeks entry will not be allowed to sail without registration and will be required to log out upon return in the afternoon. The registration process ensures that no one will stay on the island for long periods of time.

A total of 63 Talisay residents were evacuated from the island by Coast Guard personnel and are staying in a shelter on the mainland. The said evacuees were staying on the island because they were tending to their fish cages. Talisay Police Chief Police Captain Llewelyn Reyes mentioned that some of the residents who have been in the evacuation center have returned to Pulo, the Taal volcano island as referred to by the locals, but not to permanently resettle. Pulo has been declared a danger zone and the return of residents is banned. [1]

Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandalas denied the news that the government of Batangas has no funds for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. He explained that the provincial government has PhP1B in the bank and a standby loan for PhP4B. Mandanas added that all residents in the province who wish to be vaccinated will be inoculated for free.

He also added that the national government also gave PhP150M to the province which was used in the ongoing battle against the virus, including the improvement of 14 facilities in 14 government hospitals, construction of isolation centers, and improvements of evacuation centers in various parts of the province. [2]

As of February 23, Batangas has 12,855 cases since the pandemic was declared in March last year and over 250 active cases. [3]

Go to Yoorekka for more COVID-19 updates in Southern Luzon.