Filipino celebrities have offered their resources to aid those affected by Taal Volcano’s recent phreatic, or steam-driven, eruption and the ashfall that followed.
Matteo Guidicelli joined the Philippine Army to distribute relief goods to around 200 families in the Batangas City Evacuation Center yesterday, Jan. 14, as seen in the Army’s Facebook post on the same day.
“We thought about how we could help our kababayans (countrymen) that’s why [I] asked my friends what we can contribute and this is what we’ve gathered so far,” Guidicelli said. “I am also urging the others to take part.”
Angel Locsin and Neil Arce extended their help by calling for donations on their respective Instagram Stories yesterday.
Image: Instagram/@therealangellocsin
Moments after they posted a list of items the victims needed, they both uploaded clips of donated goods, which they were helping repack for the Taal victims.
Image: Instagram/@neil_arce
Image: Instagram/@therealangellocsin
Jennica Garcia, together with the Alliance Search and Rescue Medical Team, also went straight to Batangas to distribute donations, as seen on her Instagram page yesterday.
Garcia posted photos of her at an evacuation center, which showed her assisting the families there. After calling for donations since Taal Volcano’s steam-driven eruption, Garcia said the goods that came from various donors were able to help 400 families in Barangay Neogan.
She then appealed to other interested donors to hold off on giving water and clothes for now, citing that the victims were still in need of lights (solar or candles), N95 masks, toys for the kids and sleeping materials. She also advised those who wish to donate to contact her husband, Alwyn Uytingco, to coordinate on where to bring the goods.
Meanwhile, Nadine Samonte offered various items as well, which she planned to give to Garcia’s relief operations since she could not leave her kids unattended. Samonte offered N95 masks, bottles of water and coffee for the victims, as seen in her Instagram post today, Jan. 15.
Melai Cantiveros and Jason Francisco were also spotted packing relief goods for the victims yesterday. A certain Inday Rica Castaño uploaded photos of the couple and their family packing boxes on her Facebook page on the same day.
More than 30,000 residents from Batangas and Cavite have been evacuated following Taal’s recent eruption. The volcano has been put on Alert Level 4 since Sunday, which means that a violent eruption may happen within hours or days. /ra
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