DILG commends 142 LCEs for Taal eruption response

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año commended 142 local chief executives for their leadership and presence during the Taal Volcano eruption.

He reported that 100 percent of affected local chief executives activated their disaster-preparedness measures, implementing lockdowns in critical areas for resident safety.

The DILG maintained that there were zero casualties and no looting incidents in the aftermath of the eruption.

Police established a perimeter task force and checkpoints to enforce lockdown orders, with 2,820 search and rescue personnel deployed from the PNP National Headquarters and different regional units.

Approximately 98 percent of residents within the 14-kilometer danger zone of Taal Volcano's main crater have been successfully evacuated.

The DILG continues to urge the public to cooperate with emergency responders and remain outside the high-risk danger zone, as Taal Volcano Island remains hazardous.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) maintained Alert Level 4 over Taal Volcano, which continued to emit fumes.

The eruption has affected over 200,000 individuals in the CALABARZON region.