BAUAN, Batangas— Meet Josie Morera.
She has barely enjoyed the comfort of having their own home when they were asked to immediately leave because the Taal Volcano was already nearing eruption phase on January 12.
This 12-year old girl said she left her favorite toys in their house in Barangay Alas-as, which is located right at the Volcano Island, hoping that they would return in just a few days.
“I miss my playmates, I miss how we play with Minalyn,” she told Tempo as tears started to build up in her eyes.
What devastated her was when they were told that all the houses at the Volcano Island were already wiped out. And that means her favorite clothes and toys are also gone.
Just a few nights ago, she dreamt that she was playing Chinese garter with her friends.
“The soldiers told us that we can no longer back,” she said.
Barangay Alas-as is part of the town of San Nicolas. It has a population of more than 2,000 people from 388 families, according to Barangas Alas-as Chairperson Jocelyn Bayanay.
Bayanay shared the grief that Josie felt. She said too lost her house along with all her constituents. She said she too lost their means of livelihood.
And Bayanay is also facing the reality that in the coming weeks or months, she will also lose her job as the barangay where she serves as a chairperson would be dissolved.
“Before the eruption, I was really happy that I was able to improve our barangay hall and we were also able to put street lights. I was not even able to take a good last look at our barangay when we left because my concern is to save all my constituents,” said Bayanay who said she was able to mobilize all her constituents to leave within one to two hours before the eruption on January 12.
“What made me cry was when we were told that everything in our barangay was already gone. And right now, I do not even know what would happen to Barangay Alas-as,” she told Tempo here at the Bauan Technical High School where they sought refuge since January 12.
WIPED OUT
No less than President Duterte declared that the entire Volcano Island, locally known as Pulo, must be permanently closed during his visit in one of the evacuation centers in Batangas.
The Volcano Island has four barangays and two sub-villages or sitios. Based on the 2017 census, it has a population of more than 7,000.
Barangay Buco and Sitio Tabla and Sitio San Isidro of Barangay Poblacion are the areas under Talisay town. It has a population of 4,083 people in 2017.
On Balete town side of the Volcano Island is Barangay Calawit with 544 people.
On the San Nicolas town part of the Volcano island are Barangays Alas-as and Barangay Pulang Bato with a population of 2,601.
Aside from farming, fishing and livestock, the Volcano Island is also one of the centers of tourism of Batangas for local and foreign tourists who want adventure of seeing craters of the Taal Volcano.
The entire Pulo is a volcano and has more than 30 craters. That is what makes the Volcano Island a very dangerous place to live.
But there was no reported casualty from the Taal Volcano eruption as all of them were able to evacuate before it spewed more than three million tons of ashes and other volcanic materials.
PERMANENT RELOCATION
In an interview, Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas told Tempo that they will relocate all the residents of Volcano Island to safer places in compliance of Duterte’s order to ensure that Pulo is a no-man’s land.
Mandanas said there are three major relocation sites being eyed and the determination as to who would be relocated there depends on the jobs of the residents.
For those engaged in fishing and tourism, Mandanas said they would likely be relocated to San Juan and Nasugbu.
But majority would be in Talainod in Ibaan town wherein 1,000 houses are currently being constructed. And the residents of Pulo would be the priority.
“We will also provide their food and basic needs until such time that they were able to stand back on their feet,” said Mandanas.
And the permanent relocation means that all the barangays inside the Pulo Island would be dissolved.
TEMPORARY
On Sunday, the Tempo chanced upon residents of Barangay Alas-as while packing up their things for their temporary evacuation center at the newly constructed Provincial Jail in Malainin in Ibaan town.
This is because the Bauan Technical High School has to be cleared in preparation for the start of classes next week.
And for Josie, the only consolation for her in these hard times is meeting her bestfriend Minalyn again in their temporary evacuation center and even in their permanent relocation site.
Belina Montalbo, head of the Bauan Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, said that they prepared more than five sacks of rice and other food items and basic needs for Baranga Alas-as residents.
“We anticipate that they have no food there so we pack food items that could last for a few days. There are also other items that were packed for their other basic needs,” said Montalbo in an interview.
“But I told the barangay captain that should they need anything, she just have to contact me and we will provide,” she added. (Aaron Recuenco)
