MANILA – Government officials came to the defense of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) amid criticism on the agency’s supposed failure to inform the public about Taal Volcano’s situation through its social accounts and its website.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said on Tuesday that Phivolcs’ findings cannot be taken for granted since they were the experts in volcanoes.
“Sila po ang dalubhasa dyan. Sila po ang mga eksperto. Sila po ang nagbigay sa atin ng mga hazard maps. Sila po ang nag-aral ng posible na maging galaw ng bulkan base sa nakaraan at kanilang scientific instruments,” Malaya said.
On Monday, Vice Mayor Charlie Natanauan of Talisay, Batangas criticized Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum, saying the agency’s warning about Taal’s activity “was just an opinion.”
“Wala pang nakapag predict sa buong mundo kahit scientist sa pagputok ng bulkan. Bakit naman nasabi niya, siya ba ay Diyos?” Natanauan said in an interview with DZMM.
Talisay is within the high-risk areas of Taal Volcano, which means hazards like base surges and volcanic tsunamis can devastate its communities if ever a possible explosive eruption occurred.
Malaya, for his part, said: “Nakakalungkot nga po nung mabalitaan namin ang statement ng ating vice mayor na hindi po siya naniniwala.”
“Hindi po natin puwedeng payagan hanggang ngayon ‘yung sinasabing pabalikin na sa kanilang bayan dahil nga po mahigpit ang rekomendasyon ng Phivolcs sa atin at sumusunod po tayo doon sa naging batayan na ibinigay ng Phivolcs,” he added.
Ricardo Jalad, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, seconded Malaya that Natanauan needed to be briefed on what could happen if Taal Volcano suddenly exploded.
“Siguro kailangang ma-educate siya, pakinggan niya ang assessment ng Phivolcs at [backed]-up naman ng science,” Jalad said./PN
