Residents of Agoncillo, Batangas given 5 hours to enter ash-covered town

Residents of the lakeshore town of Agoncillo, Batangas were given only five hours to enter their town on Saturday.

The town is among areas placed on lockdown due to Taal Volcano's activity.

On Friday, residents were given four hours to enter the town and retrieve their belongings and livestock.

A man lay on the road to protest his not being allowed inside the town for an hour to feed his pigs.

On Saturday, residents were given five hours starting 5 a.m. to do the same, according to GMA News' Jonathan Andal.

At 5 a.m., vehicles started entering the town's main road and passing by the police checkpoint.

(As of 5am) Sinimulan nang papasukin sa Agoncillo, Batangas ang mga residenteng maghahakot at bibisita sa kanilang bahay.

Mas maaga ito sa nakatakdang window hours na 6am-10am. Ayon sa mga pulis, ito'y para hindi na tumambak ang mga tao sa bungad ng checkpoint @gmanews pic.twitter.com/vdqHOPzZVX

— Jonathan Andal (@JonathanAndal_) January 17, 2020

A long queue of vehicles could be seen traversing the ash-covered main road.

(As of 6:30am) Tuloy-tuloy ang pagdating ng mga residente na papasok sa Agoncillo, Batangas.

Limang oras suspendido ang 'lockdown' sa bayan ngayong araw @gmanews pic.twitter.com/KWo54TE8L2

— Jonathan Andal (@JonathanAndal_) January 17, 2020

One poultry raiser rescued his pigs and said he will just cook them and give the food to evacuees.

This is better than accepting the P1,000 to P2,000 offer to buy his pigs, which is very low the usual price of P15,000 per pig, he said.

LOOK: 3 baboy na sinagip ng may-ari sa Agoncillo, Batangas, iluluto na lang at ipakakain sa mga evacuee kaysa raw ibenta.

Binabarat na raw kasi ang mga baboy nila sa presyong P1,000-2,000 kada isa mula sa dating presyo nito na P15,000 @gmanews pic.twitter.com/9dWslmYDju

— Jonathan Andal (@JonathanAndal_) January 17, 2020

At 10 a.m., authorities implemented the lockdown again in the town.

Mayor Daniel Reyes said no residents will be allowed back in.

As of 10am, lockdown na ulit ang buong Agoncillo, Batangas.

Ayon kay Mayor Daniel Reyes, wala rin munang papapasuking residente rito bukas @gmanews pic.twitter.com/b6oH3r3KAo

— Jonathan Andal (@JonathanAndal_) January 18, 2020

Huge cracks or fissures have been seen on roads in Agoncillo earlier this week.

One such crack in Barangay San Teodoro could be seen from far away and led to Taal Lake.

After Taal Volcano began erupting on Sunday, Agoncillo became a ghost town with ash blanketing rooftops, roads, houses, and even the mountainside. —KG, GMA News