MANILA, Philippines — Batangas City Mayor Beverley Rose Dimacuha has called off all fiesta celebrations in the city amid the continued unrest of Taal Volcano.
The mayor said the move was made as a safety precaution in anticipation of earthquakes brought by the eruption of Taal Volcano last Sunday.
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She said amog the cancelled festivities were the Bb. Lungsod ng Batangas Pageant and the city parade slated Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
Dinacuha is calling on Batangas residents and city government employees to also cancel their own fiesta preparations at home and instead donate or help people who have been evacuated from the lakeshore towns of Taal.
According to the Batangas City website, the fiesta is held every January in honor of the Sto. Niño, the city's patron.
"Instead of spending on the City Fiesta, Batangas City will assist our brothers and sisters from the heavily-affected municipalities," she said.
On Wednesday, the Department of the Interior and Local Government office in Batangas released a list of barangays in the province that will implement mandatory evacuation of residents.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said areas within the 14-kilometer radius of Taal Volcano are high-risk zones.
These barangays are susceptible to ballistic projectiles, base surge and volcanic tsunami.