The following are some experiences shared by victims of the Taal Volcano eruption.

Taal volcano erupted last January 12, spewing kilometer-high ash plumes. In a span of five
hours and after magmatic activities, it was escalated to alert level 4 which means that
hazardous explosive eruption is imminent within hours or days.

“At first, I thought my children were making fun of me, throwing sands on me
while I was cleaning the house,” Melanie, 38, said. “But when I saw that that
particles were coarse type of ashes and my children were shouting that Taal
was erupting, we immediately packed a few items and left. When we
reached the street, I saw lots of people running, crying, and vehicles going to
and fro. It got dark then because of the thick ashes covering the sky.”

Math wiz child Kenneth, 12, remembered the day they ran to safety. “I got
scared. I was holding to my mother as tightly as I could. Everything was
dark. There was lightning. It was scary.”

Gloria Punzalan, 92, a grandmother who experienced Taal volcano’s eruption twice, said that it
has always been a scary experience for her.

“It wasn’t as populous as it is now. I remember my husband and I carrying

our eight children, running to safety. I thought it wouldn’t happen again but it
did.”

Families were advised to stay in evacuation centers until it is safe to return. The Philippine
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warned communities against “possible
hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami” due to the magmatic unrest. As of
January 18, there are more than 70,000 people seeking refuge in 300 evacuation centers.

Question: What can you say about the affected population’s perception about the said volcanic
eruption?
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