‘Ash for cash’ offered to Taal evacuees

BATANGAS, Philippines  – Gov. Hermilando Mandanas announced yesterday the launching of a livelihood program dubbed “Ash for Cash” that would allow residents to earn money by collecting and selling volcanic ash to be used in the making of hollow blocks.

He said residents could earn by gathering ash that had been scattered in Batangas, Cavite and Laguna by the ashfall from the eruption of Taal Volcano last Jan. 12. 

“Ash will be accumulated by residents and they would be paid for the ash. We are now organizing cooperatives where we can put hollow block making machines. We can also make the ash as fertilizers,” Mandanas said at a press briefing held at the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) Opertion Center in Batangas City yesterday. 

The project of hollow blocks and bricks making using volcanic ash was started in Biñan, Laguna after Taal’s eruption.

The volcano triggered ashfall that lasted for more than one day and volcanic ash blanketed Batangas, Tagaytay City, parts of Cavite and Laguna and some ashfall even reached Metro Manila and Central Luzon. 

Mandanas said he will ask cement manufacturers like Eagle Cement of Ramon Ang and Republic Cement of the Aboitiz family to give them a special discount on prices of cement that would be mixed with the volcanic ash in the production of hollow blocks. 

“We will buy cement at a lower price to mix in making hollow blocks and we will offer the hollow blocks to construction companies to be used for their projects,” he added.

Joe Alilio, deputy chief of the Provincial Cooperative, Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development Office (PCLEDO), said the provincial government will still determine the price of ash per kilo or per ton based on the costing of the cooperatives. 

Alilio said they would mobilize the cooperatives in the ash-affected areas for the project. 

“The provincial government will provide machineries and cash assistance to the cooperatives to buy ash from the residents,” Alilio said. 

“We are already mobilizing and we will also coordinate with other stakeholders to ensure that there is a market for whatever is produced,” Alilio added.

Meanwhile, the provincial government also announced that they will provide cash assistance for the repair of houses either partially or totally damaged.  

At least 30 percent of houses in Batangas were damaged with an estimated cost of P360 million.

As of today, Taal Volcano remains on alert level 3 with 137 volcanic earthquakes monitored in the last 24 hours, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Mandanas reiterated his call for residents not to stay within the 14-kilometer danger zone despite an option to return.

“Taal Volcano is still on alert level 3 which means there is a possibility that the volcano is going to erupt. There is a high level of risk to life and property. Many of the houses are unstable, due to ash and cracks so it is still dangerous to enter the place,” he said.

He assured the people that the provincial government will continue to provide for those who remain in evacuation centers outside the danger zone even if it takes six months to two years. 

As of 5 a.m. last Monday, 263 evacuation centers remained open, providing shelter to  9,779 families or 34,314 individuals.

Mandanas said the provincial government is also establishing evacuation centers and instant help centers in affected barangays within the 14-km danger zone, not including those that are inside the 7-km radius permanent danger zone.

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa proposed yesterday a “papulis-pulis” solution to save animals trapped in Taal Volcano Island as the government enforced a lockdown after the eruption last Jan. 12.

Dela Rosa proposed that the government allow members of the community and animal groups who want to go back to the island and save their animals, provided that they will be made to sign waivers that when the volcano erupts and they die or suffer injury, government will not be responsible.

“One-time big-time operation, if something happens don’t blame the government, simple solution to a quite complicated problem,” Dela Rosa said during a public hearing of the Senate committee on urban planning, housing and resettlement yesterday.

Lawyer Heidi Caguioa, Animal Rescue Inc. program director, thanked Dela Rosa for the proposal, which she described as “foolish” but might solve the problem of the community.

“Thanks so much Sir for the papulis-pulis solution. It’s foolish but you know it can be a solution,” Caguioa said.

“It’s not only we from the private sector who risked our lives but also the community who has been going back to volcano island,” Caguioa said.

She said risking the life of animal lovers to rescue trapped animals is not a problem with the members of their groups as well as other groups concerned with animals. She, however, appealed for support from the government, particularly the police and coast guard.

Despite the lockdown, Caguioa said another animal group was able to save cattle from the island. With Cecille Suerte Felipe