EDITORIAL - Evacuation in a pandemic

Several barangays situated closest to Taal Volcano have not yet fully recovered from last year’s phreatic explosion, which blew acrid ash all the way to Metro Manila and Bulacan, forcing the suspension of flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

This time, the sulfuric volcanic smog or “vog” has again reached Metro Manila, but the levels have so far not forced the suspension of the few flights allowed at the NAIA. Last Thursday afternoon, the volcano erupted. Although it was not as strong as the explosion in January last year, evacuation has started in several barangays at high risk of being affected by an “explosive eruption” that state volcanologists warn is possible.

More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, many local government units have become better prepared for the evacuation of entire communities. Modular tents have been allocated per family and health safety protocols enforced by certain LGUs in the use of common facilities at evacuation sites around Taal Volcano.

Images from some of the sites, however, show the lack of such segregated accommodations and the failure to enforce physical distancing. This can lead to bigger problems amid the spread of more virulent coronavirus variants outside Metro Manila. The national government should assist the LGUs in providing the appropriate emergency response.

Volcanologists and health experts also warn that ordinary face masks used against the COVID virus don’t offer sufficient protection against vog, which can irritate the eyes, skin and respiratory system. What works is the N95 mask, which keeps out fine particles, but which can cost from 30 to 50 times more than ordinary disposable face masks.

The volcanic unrest has also displaced livelihoods in the affected communities. Top tourist destination Tagaytay City, which has been gradually recovering from the devastation wreaked by the COVID pandemic on the travel industry, may have to brace for further business disruption. As of last Friday, businesses along the city’s ridge had not yet reported any slowdown in visitors, but vog and ashfall can change this any time.

Volcanologists have said there are indications that Taal’s current unrest would not be as bad as the one last year. Still, every precaution must be taken not only against another eruption but also against the spread of a killer disease. The last thing the displaced communities need is the double whammy of destructive volcanic activity and COVID contagion.