Volcanic smog hits Batangas towns anew

MANILA, Philippines — Volcanic smog or vog blanketed several cities and municipalities near Taal Volcano in Batangas yesterday, disrupting classes in some localities including nearby provinces.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) urged residents to take precautionary measures against the smog such as staying indoors, shutting doors and windows, and drinking water to prevent throat irritation, and to seek medical attention in case of emergency.

“The OCD is monitoring the activity of the volcano and the situation in affected areas,” OCD administrator Ariel Nepomuceno said.

“Our regional counterpart in Calabarzon has been on alert to ensure the safety of the communities. The government is ready to send assistance if necessary,” he said, referring to Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.

As of 11 a.m. yesterday, vog was monitored in the towns of Agoncillo, Alitagtag, Balayan, Balete, Calatagan, Laurel, Lemery, Lian, Malvar, Mataasnakahoy, Nasugbu, Rosario, San Nicolas, San Pascual, San Jose, Sto. Tomas, Talisay and Tuy as well as in the cities of Calaca and Tanauan in Batangas.

The continuous smog emission from Taal compelled school authorities to suspend classes in several areas of Batangas as well as in Cavite, Laguna and Rizal.

To protect communities from health hazards, the OCD and the Department of Health (DOH) sent 96,800 face masks to affected areas in Batangas, Cavite and Laguna.

The DOH said it recorded 714 cases of respiratory complaints including 638 in Batangas, 49 in Cavite, 16 in Laguna and 11 in Rizal due to volcanic smog.

Affected residents complained of sore throat, difficulty in breathing, cough and other symptoms.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) described the vog as fine droplets containing volcanic gas like sulfur dioxide, which is acidic and can irritate the eyes, throat and respiratory tract.

Severity of the cases depend on the gas concentration and duration of exposure.

People vulnerable to vog are those with health conditions such as asthma, lung and heart diseases as well as the elderly, pregnant women and children.

Phivolcs chief Teresito Bacolcol said that strong winds could immediately disperse the