By Stacy Ang

MANILA, Philippines — Several organizations and government agencies have already started calling for donations starting last Monday in order to help victims and evacuees of affected areas after the eruption of Taal Volcano in Batangas which brought ashfall to several nearby areas, including Metro Manila.

Philippine Red Cross Chairman and Senator Richard Gordon said the agency is accepting relief goods in the form of face masks, towels, bottled water, easy-open canned goods, cup noodles, biscuits, 3-in-1 coffee sachet, cleaning materials, blankets and mattresses and hygiene kits.

The organization said they are also accepting cash donations.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it also needs individuals or groups volunteer to help pack food and relief items for affected families.

The Batangas local government said about 16,000 residents from the danger zone have fled their homes and moved to evacuation centers such as those in Bauan, San Pascual, Padre Garcia and Lipa. The province is now under a state of calamity. The most affected towns are Talisay, Laurel, Agoncillo and San Nicolas.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Managament Council Chairman Delfin Lorenzana said there are 10,751 affected persons in their list that are seen to evacuate ashfall-stricken areas namely Batangas (all 24 municipalities) and Cavite province, including Tagaytay City.

Taal started rumbling and belching ash plumes on Sunday in a steam-driven eruption.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has since raised the alert for Taal to level 4 which means a “hazardous eruption” is possible within days or hours.

Last  Monday, Taal had a magmatic eruption, spewing a “weak” lava fountain for an hour and a half. (STACY  ANG/IAMIGO/Currentph.com)