Volcano Destruction in the Philippines

By Mary Ann Dela Cruz     

At the beginning of the year, the Philippines had a rough start. A volcano that was inactive for fifty-four years erupted in January, covering nearby villages and homes in ash and dust, as well as spewing molten lava. The alert level was raised in minutes from Level 1 to Level 4, with 5 being the highest (Neuman). In fear of another eruption happening, every one living near the volcano was evacuated and the Manila airport was shut down until further notice.

“Dozens of earthquakes preceded Sunday's eruption, and authorities warned that a tsunami was possible in the freshwater lake surrounding the volcano,” NPR reported.

Evacuation was difficult for some citizens because the majority of the people living in the Philippines own some sort of farm animal. Whether it is to sell or for personal use. With such a short amount of time to prepare and the fear of how close the lava was, the villagers could only bring so much and at the same time had to move all their livestock at the same time.

The Philippines being a third world country, it does not have a large abundance of water or other necessities in certain areas. Since the volcano had not erupted for fifty-four years, a build-up of ash, mud, and other things was just sitting on top. After a couple of days of waiting to make sure that the volcano would not erupt anymore, police officers were told to make sure it was ok for citizens to go home. The things that they saw were devastating. Homes were covered in mud and ash. One family was cleaning all the muck in order for the house to not cave in (Regan). 

It causes a great toll on the economy, with many of the plantations destroyed. Many farmers had to not only clean up the mess that was left behind but also try and fix and rebuild their properties. Yet, many homes and shops did not make it. Whether they were destroyed by the eruption or the amount of ash and dust dumped on the roofs. Many of the homes in the Philippines do not have many of the things that the house in America has. Most homes do not have insulation or proper windows, some just have openings in the wall or by the roof. Also, the roofs are not made the same. Some are just metal sheets to cover the interior of the house and most of the time it is not applied properly.

Recovery is rough for the citizens, though they have returned home. They struggle to support their families on a normal basis. The donations are appreciated but it is not enough to bring back the education system and the restoration of their source of income. Most of that is from tourists, agriculture, and fishing (“Philippines Enters”). The majority of that income is now unavailable because the land is not usable for agriculture or the water is covered in ash, which killed some of the wildlife. The Philippine government is figuring out a way to support the provinces that were affected. 

Works Cited

Neuman, Scott. “Volcanic Eruption In Philippines Causes Thousands To Flee.” NPR, NPR, 13 Jan. 2020, www.npr.org/2020/01/13/795815351/volcanic-eruption-in-philippines-causes-thousands-to-flee.

“Philippines Enters Recovery Phase after Dodging Volcano Crisis.” Voice of America, www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/philippines-enters-recovery-phase-after-dodging-volcano-crisis.

Regan, Helen. “The Dilemma Facing Those in the Shadow of Taal Volcano.” CNN, Cable News Network, 19 Jan. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/01/17/asia/taal-volcano-philippines-fatal-attraction-intl-hnk/index.html.