Phivolcs records 19 phreatomagmatic bursts in Taal Volcano

MANILA, Philippines —Nineteen phreatomagmatic bursts were recorded at Taal Volcano in Batangas on Friday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said in its advisory.

These so-called “very weak” phreatomagmatic bursts were detected over Taal Volcano’s main crater coming from a vent on its northeastern side between 8:50 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Friday, according to the state volcano monitoring agency.

A phreatomagmatic eruption of a volcano occrus when both magmatic gases and steam from groundwater  are expelled.

Also in its advisory, Phivolcs said some of the bursts produced 200-meter-tall steam-rich plumes.

“Many of the bursts were obscured by ongoing upwelling of hot volcanic gas in the main crater lake, while all events did not generate detectable signals in the seismic and infrasound records,” it added.

Accordingly, alert Level 1 remains over the Taal Volcano, “which means that it is still in abnormal condition and should not be interpreted to have ceased unrest nor ceased the threat of eruptive activity.”

Likewise, Phivolcs also warned that Alert Level 2 may be raised over the volcano when the current phreatomagmatic activity worsens or pronounced changes in monitored parameters indicate increasing unrest.

“At Alert Level 1, sudden steam-driven or phreatic explosions, volcanic earthquakes, minor ashfall, and lethal accumulations or expulsions of volcanic gas can occur and threaten areas within the Taal Volcano Island,” it said.

Phivolcs strongly recommends that entry into the Taal Volcano Island – a permanent danger zone- especially in the vicinities of the main crater and the Daang Kastila fissure “must remain strictly prohibited.”

Local government units are also advised to continously assess previously evacuated barangays around Taal Lake for damages and road accessibilities as well as to strengthen preparedness, contingency and  communication measures in case of renewed unrest.

People are also advised to observe precautions due to ground displacement across fissures, possible ashfall and minor earthquakes.

Pilots are also advised to avoid flying close to the volcano since airborne ash and ballistic fragments from sudden explosions and wind-remobilized ash may pose hazards to aircrafts.

Health outbreak, class suspension in Batangas urged amid growing hand, foot and mouth disease cases

Batangas, Philippines – A Batangas congresswoman has called for a declaration of health outbreak and suspension of classes in whole Batangas province on Thursday as the suspected cases of hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) continue to pile up.

In a report by ABS-CBN News, Batangas 2nd District Rep. Jinky “Bitrics” Luistro was quoted as saying that the Department of Education must declare a class suspension in the whole Batangas province.

This is while waiting for the result of the examination by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in the specimen samples obtained from children with suspected HFMD cases.

“I have called for us to act quickly before this HFMD spreads,” Luistro told ABS-CBN News in an interview, speaking in Filipino.

“We understand that face-to-face classes are ongoing in different schools and what scares me is that there might be a positive carrier inside the school and we are unaware that there is ongoing transmission already,” she added.

Luistro also called for the declaration of HFMD outbreak in the province but the provincial health office said it’s the local government who must first make the declaration.

Presently, Batangas City has four confirmed HFMD cases in Batangas City while San Pascual town waits for the results of specimen samples collected from children in their municipality.

More than 80 other suspected cases are being investigated in the towns of Bauan, Cuenca and Balete.

There will be simultaneous disinfection and cleaning activities in Batangas province on Friday to prevent the spread of the disease.

HFMD is a contagious viral infection that commonly affects young children and is characterized by sores in the mouth and rashes on the hands and feet.

It is transmitted through droplets or direct contact with nasal discharges, saliva, feces, and fluid from the rashes of an infected individual.

Face-to-face classes in Cuenca, also suspended due to hand foot and mouth disease

Cuenca, Batangas – Mayor Alexander Magpantay suspended face-to-face classes in private and public schools from elementary to high school in this municipality beginning today, October 19.

This was due to the steady increase in cases of hand food and mouth disease (HFMD) in the said town.

While there are no classes, disinfection will be carried out in schools led by the Cuenca Municipal Health Office.

As the writer prepares this report, 33 children have been hit by HMFD and there is an ongoing monitoring of cases.

According to data from the Cuenca MHO, Barangay Emmanuel has the most cases with 14, followed by San Isidro (9), Balagbag (5), Ibaba (3) while Poblacion 1 and San Felipe have one case each.

The local government also advised the parents and guardians of the students to contact their barangay health workers if their children were found to have symptoms of HFMD or please also consult the Cuenca Rural Health Unit.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is an infectious disease commonly seen in children. This disease is usually caused by Enterovirus and causes red spots or sores on the hands, feet, mouth and even the throat.

DOH investigates source of hand, food and mouth disease outbreak in Batangas

Representatives from the San Pascual Rural Health Unit conduct checkup of students in San Pascual for symptoms of hand foot and mouth disease (San Pascual RHU)

San Pascual, Batangas – The Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) CALABARZON have began the epidemiological investigation to unearth the source of the Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) outbreak in San Pascual , Batangas.

“Sinimulan natin sa active case finding and initial investigation. Nagpadala din ng specimen sa RITM, to determine the causative agent. This can help us in the clinical management of the disease by preventing further complications,” DOH CALABARZON Regional Director Ariel Valencia sent in a statement issued Monday.

From September 26 to October 16, 2022, the DOH Regional Office logged 105 cases with clinical symptoms of HFMD, but only 49 cases fit the suspect HFMD case definition; the remaining cases have yet to undergo validation.

Most of the cases are children 1- 16 years old age group and are predominantly male. Patients mostly pupils from various schools within the community and residents of 11 different barangays.

This includes among others Brgy. Pook ng Kapitan, Brgy. Sambat, Brgy. Natunuan North, Brgy. Population, Brgy. Pook ni Banal, Brgy. San Antonio, Brgy. Resplandor, Brgy. Antipolo, Brgy. Mataas na Lupa, Brgy. Palsahingin and Brgy. Alalum.

DOH said they had already provided disinfection solutions to sanitize the affected schools and has distributed educational materials about the evolving HFMD to keep the community aware of its transmission and take the necessary precautions against HFMD infection.

“We assure the public that the DOH, together with the Municipality of San Pascual, are on top of the situation. Bukod po sa pagtukoy natin ng source ng pagkalat ng HFMD sa lugar ay inaalam na rin po natin ang mga karagdagang assistance na kailangan sa lugar,” Valencia added.

Last October 17, San Pascual Mayor Antonio Dimayuga issued an Executive Order No. 27 suspending classes for students in Daycare up to Grade 3 from October 18 – 21 to conduct a school-wide disinfection.

HFMD is a contagious viral infection that commonly affects young children and is characterized by sores in the mouth and rashes on the hands and feet.

It is transmitted through droplets or direct contact with nasal discharges, saliva, feces, and fluid from the rashes of an infected individual.

Parents are likewise encouraged to teach their children protective habits such as frequent handwashing, wearing a mask, and covering the mouth when sneezing or coughing.
Children must eat more fruits and vegetables and exercise regularly to increase their immunity against infectious diseases such as HFMD.

“There is no specific treatment for HFMD. But with good personal hygiene, regular cleaning and disinfecting of common areas or frequently touched surfaces, and avoiding close contact with someone who has hand-foot-and-mouth disease can reduce your child’s risk of infection ,” Valencia said.

Kidnapped Chinese national rescued in Batangas

Batangas City – A Chinese national who was allegedly kidnapped by an unidentified foreign national was rescued by the personnel of the Alangilan Police Community Precinct – Batangas City Police Station.

The victim, a woman (not named), a native of Shanghai, China, was allegedly kidnapped by an unidentified foreign national suspect on September 17, 2022 at 12:30 a.m. in Angeles City, Pampanga. The kidnappers detained him for 20 days until he escaped to a residential house in Brgy. Alangilan, Batangas City.

The PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group confirmed the kidnapping of the subject in exchange for a $200,000 ransom.

PRO CALABARZON Regional Director, Police Brigadier General Jose Melencio Nartatez, Jr praised the Batangas CPS personnel for the successful rescue of the Chinese national.

He also tasked the Anti-Kidnapping Group 4A (AKG) and operatives of PRO CALABARZON to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and identify the culprits.

“I commend the Batangas CPS operatives for rescuing the victim. Your timely response prevented another kidnapping incident involving Chinese Nationals. Such atrocities should not spread in our region. We must strengthen our intelligence efforts and maintain police presence on the streets to prevent possible kidnapping and other crimes,” said PBGEN Jose Melencio C Nartatez.

It was learned that some of the kidnappers have been identified and are now the subject of follow-up police operations.

“I want immediate progress in this case and I also want these kidnappers to be arrested. We cannot tolerate these criminals who prey on innocent civilians for their own sake,” added RD Nartatez.

Pedestrian killed after being run over by a truck in Batangas City

This truck figured in an accident that killed a pedestrian in Batangas City on Monday afternoon. (Batangas City PNP)

Batangas City – A 45-year-old man died after being hit and run over by a truck along PPA Road, Barangay Calicanto, Batangas City on Monday morning, police said.

The victim was identified as Ronan Hernandez, a resident of the said barangay.

Initial investigation said at around 11:45 am, the victim was just walking on the rightmost side of PPA road when he was run over by a truck driven by Danny Boy Guzman that was going to Barangay Bolbok, Batangas City.

The injured victim was rushed to the Batangas Medical Center but the doctor declared him dead on arrival.

The driver and the family of the victim’s orphaned relative have settled. (Marlon Luistro)

Balayan deputy cop nabbed for robbery extortion

Balayan, Batangas – Elements of the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) together with other PNP Units under Intel Packet “Marilag” have arrested on Friday a Police Captain assigned as Deputy Chief of Police of Balayan Municipal Police Station for robbery extortion.

PBGen. Warren de Leon, identified the suspect as PCpt. Ruben Marilag.

Authorities said the suspect
was arrested after he demanded and extorted money as weekly payola of Php2,000 from a resident whom he accused of illegally operating “loteng”, an illegal number game.

The said police official was arrested in an entrapment operation conducted on September 22, 2022, at about 4:47 PM in front of Robinson Bank near their station by the joint elements of Team 4A, IMEG Luzon Field Unit, 35th Special Action Company, PNP SAF, Balayan Municipal Police Station, and Provincial Intelligence Unit, Batangas Police Provincial Office.

The operation stemmed from a complaint lodged against Marilag for coercing and intimidating the complainant/victim into paying a weekly payola for the victim’s “loteng” operation.

Accordingly, the said “loteng” operation had already been stopped since March of 2021 when the victim was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer.

Despite this, the suspect insists that the victim must pay for his weekly payola amounting to P2,000
Recovered pieces of evidence were the marked money, the suspect’s service firearm with a magazine containing 14 live ammunition, an inside holster, smartphones, a cap with artificial hair and a wallet containing cash, and the suspect’s PNP ID.

The arrested suspect is now under the custody of IMEG Headquarters at Camp BGen Rafael T Crame, Quezon City for investigation and proper disposition.

PCPT Marilag is already the fifth active PNP personnel and the second police officer arrested by PNP IMEG in an entrapment operation since PBGEN DE LEON was designated as the Acting Director of IMEG on August 8.

“We are simply following the directive of our CPNP, PGEN RODOLFO S AZURIN JR, to go after erring PNP personnel who continue to ruin the image of the PNP organization despite repeated warnings and reminders,” De Leon said.

“We are determined to remove misfits as they don’t have a place in the organization. With this commitment, we hope that with the help of the community and the Church under the KASIMBAYANAN program, we can accomplish our mandate of cleansing the PNP of scalawags. Kaya tulong-tulong po tayo.”

The suspect has yet to issue a statement on his arrest.

Motorcycle rider killed after hitting a truck in Batangas City

Batangas City – A motorcycle rider was killed on the spot after crashing into a truck on a bypass road in Barangay Balagtas here Thursday morning, police said.

Police identified the killed driver as Daniel Chua, 26, a resident of the said barangay.

Initial investigation said at around 2:30 am, the truck that Felixberto Almarez was just traversing the said bypass road heading towards San Pascual town when the motorcycle hit its left front portion..

As a result of the impact impact, driver Chua fell fro his motorcycle and suffered head injuries causing his immediate death.

The suspect is already under the custody of the Batangas City police facing charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.

He has yet to issue a statement as of press time.

Batelec 2 lowers power rates once again

Lipa City, Batangas – For the second month in a row, the Batangas Electric Cooperative 2 (Batelec 2) will once again lower its electricity bill.

In a statement released on the cooperative’s official Facebook page on September 21, Batelec 2 management said that the electricity bill for residential consumers will decrease from the previous P14.0506 per kilowatt hour in August 2022 to P13.8024 per kWh this September.

Meanwhile power rates for commercial consumers will also drop from the previous P13.6850 per kilowatt hour in August 2022 to P13.3866 per kWh this September.

It is estimated that the charge for residential consumers was reduced to P0.2482 per kilowatt hour (kWh) while the charge for commercial – low voltage consumers was reduced to P0.2984 per kWh.

Batelec said there was a slight decrease in the residential rate for the month of September due to the blending of the new power supplier of BATELEC II and cheap prices in the wholesale electricity spot market (WESM) which lowered the price of Generation cost.

Batelec also noted that the generation charge is a pass-through charge and the cooperative only serves as a collector of the said fee.

The cooperative once again reminded consumers to be prudent in using electricity.

Soil Rejuvenation: ENVIRO helps Filipino farmers bring soil back to life

 

Every crop season, farmers use more and more chemical inputs to keep up with the yield and high quality needed for harvest. This results in a vicious cycle for the need of chemical fertilizers that strip our soil of its essential nutrients. As a way to combat this anti-productive practice, the bright agripreneurs at ENVIRO have made it their mission to introduce BioFertilizers to Filipino farmers. This sustainable method has been proven to bring soil back to its healthiest state of biodiversity and nutrition. Therefore, increasing yields by 30-40%.

 

Planting the Seeds for Success 

 

To ensure the effectivity of their BioFertilizers, ENVIRO has partnered with globally accredited specialists, government research centers, top universities, and the best scientists to bring forward an innovative product that doesn’t only benefit our environment, but also the nation’s food security. One of the company’s main missions is to achieve Balance Fertilization, or the practice of bringing our soil back to its healthiest state. “Balance Fertilization enables farmers to produce a healthy increase in yield, as well as nutrient-rich crops, contributing to food for the Filipino nation that is free from destructive chemicals,” explains ENVIRO co-founder Prashant Dargani.

 

Research has shown that the use of BioFertilizers have increased farmer’s crop yields by 30-40%, while cutting costs by at least 30-50% —making it a highly sustainable, cost-efficient method of farming. ENVIRO has also taken into consideration our local farmers’ well-being. “[We] started because we first heard about how farmers’ health were negatively affected by spraying hazardous chemical fertilizers and pesticides on the plants without wearing face masks, gloves, and [other] protective gear,” says Dargani. With ENVIRO’s BioFertilizers, farmers are risk free, because the product significantly lowers environmental pollution and reduces greenhouse gas emission by severely restricting the use of manufactured chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Finally, price points for their products have been specifically designed for farmers. “Sobrang laki po talaga ng tulong ng Enviro samin,” says Mr. Jun Alcantara, a Local Farmer Technician (LFT) from Nueva Ecija. “Kitang kita po talaga and tagumpay.”

 

Changing the Future Today  

 

ENVIRO highly encourages soil rejuvenation, knowing that there would be no future without it. “We need to do it today,” Dargani explains. “We need to be able to rejuvenate the earth back to a constant state of rich nutrients and bio-availability. Without this, we will never achieve food security. As we take care of the earth, so does it take care of us.” To help achieve this brighter tomorrow, the company has closely worked with farmers by providing them on-the-ground training on how to maximize the use of Bio-fertilizers. These training centers focus on teaching them how to get higher yields, how to protect their crops against destructive pests, and how to use the latest farming technologies and systems.

 

The agripreneurs behind ENVIRO has built the organization on the mission of changing how farming is done, rather than trying to introduce “trendy” organic farming trends. They have also partnered with government agencies who have lent them their trust and full confidence for the last seven years. Particularly, the Department of Agriculture and its agencies continue to work with ENVIRO to help spread the word about Balance Fertilization across different regions in the country.

 

Saving Our Soil 

 

By introducing this sustainable method of farming, ENVIRO hopes that they will leave a big impact on our Agricultural Sector. Dargani notes that “saving our soil” is the first step in providing our people better lives. Good, nutrient-rich soil affects everybody. It begins with our farmers, and ends with the rest us at home, who consume their produce. ENVIRO is aware of the current situation of poor farming practices that could easily be remedied through help and education. Truly, a revolutionary company, helping bring the Philippines towards a brighter future. Save the soil, and surely, you can save the people too.

 

For more information, visit www.essi.com.ph