Return to 'no man's land': Residents of 'Pulo' come home weeks after eruption

TAAL VOLCANO ISLAND, Philippines — Taal Volcano in Batangas unleashed columns of ash after 43 years of deep slumber on the afternoon of January 12.

The ashfall and the earthquakes that accompanied the eruption displaced thousands of residents in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite.

The disaster hit the communities living on the volcano island—dubbed by locals as "Pulo"—the most. The volcano island now resembles a wasteland, with houses buried in thick layers of ash and mud.

Days after the eruption, President Rodrigo Duterte declared “Pulo”—long inside the permanent danger zone—as a “no man’s land.” Authorities also strongly recommended against entry to the ground zero of the disaster.

Residents, however, are still returning to rebuild their homes or at least recover some of the things they left behind.