Taal Volcano island residents try to move on a year after eruption

A year after Taal Volcano erupted, residents are still trying to move on with their lives although the memory of the event has left scars in their lives.

Raquel Juli was celebrating her birthday and her brother was having his wedding when Taal Volcano started erupting on Jan. 12, 2020, according to a report by Darlene Cay on GMA News' Unang Balita on Tuesday.

"Natatakot dahil hindi ko po alam kung ano ang uunahin kasi marami rin pong bata na aasikasuhin atsaka mga gamit na dadalhin ko," she said, recalling those moments.

"Nakakalungkot po gawa po ay ngayon lang po nakaranas ng ganoong pangyayari. Hindi ko po akalain na birthday ko mangyayari 'yon at kasal ng kapatid ko," Raquel added.

Her brother Manuel recalled the panic they felt that day.

"Birth certificate ng anak, as in 'yon lang. At damit lang ng baby," he said of the items they were able to bring with them from their residence on Taal Volcano Island.

"Nagbihis lang kaming mag-asawa. Pinauna ko na 'yung mag-ina ko, sumakay na sila ng bangka. Naiwan kaming mga lalaki sa isla. Noong bumagsak na ang putik, saka kami umalis," Manuel said.

One of the wedding guests died. 

The alert level on Taal Volcano rose from Alert Level 1 to Alert Level 4 that day in just a few hours.

Taal Volcano Island became a no man's land after the eruption.

Six hundred families who used to live on the island thereafter resettled in the National Housing Authority housing project in Barangay Talaibon in Ibaan, Batangas.

Some residents, however, did not resettle there, choosing to stay in other Batangas towns near their livelihood.

"Ang karamihan sa kanila [ay] nandoon na sa permanent settlement nila sa National Housing Project sa Ibaan, Batangas. Others who decided to stay ay nasa kani-kanilang bayan… because of their livelihood. Ayaw nilang maiba pa ang livelihood nila," said Lito Castro of the Batangas Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

Lea Juli still longs for the house their family left behind on the island.

"Malungkot. 'Yung bahay namin kung bakit mag-iisang taon na sigurong ginawa. Sayang," she said.

Talisay

A year ago, the main road of the municipality of Talisay, which sits across Taal Volcano Island, was covered in mud and volcanic ash and had fissures.

On Tuesday, the road was clear with no trace of fissures, mud or ash.

Taal Volcano remains under Alert Level 1, with steaming and volcanic earthquakes recorded from time to time.

Residents marked the one year anniversary of the volcanic eruption with a Mass in thanksgiving for the lives that were spared, as well as to pray for those who died, have lost jobs, and are having a hard time cope since the eruption.

The Mass was held at Talisay Baywalk through the San Guillermo Church.

 —KG, GMA News