Covering Taal: Media more responsible than the President

CHEERS TO the media for their swift and science-based reporting on the eruption of Taal Volcano last July 1, without hype or sensationalism. Cheers as well for critically countering President Duterte’s insensitive remarks about capping the volcano with comments from netizens and some senators. 

On July 1 in the afternoon, the main crater of Taal Volcano generated a “short-lived dark phreatomagmatic plume 1 kilometer-high” that prompted the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS-DOST) to raise the volcano’s alert level to 3. As short bursts and earthquakes followed, LGUs advised communities within the 7-km radius to evacuate to safer ground. 

Journalists were quick to report on the eruption and the general situation in Batangas -from evacuation, vaccination, and relief operations. Through on-the-ground reporting and interviews with experts, the media showed the actual situation of evacuees and explained what has happened and what may happen. Coverage showed the number of evacuees, how they took risks to sustain their livelihoods by returning to their homes and how residents and LGUs are struggling to follow health protocols.

When asked for his reaction, President Duterte’s said “Siguro lagyan ko lang ng cap yung butas… ang Taal na ‘yan.”  (“Maybe I should put a cap on the hole — that Taal) –reprising the levity with which he joked when Taal erupted in January 2020, “Kainin ko pa ‘yang ashfall na ‘yan. Pati Taal, ihian ko pa ‘yan, bwisit na ‘yan.” (I will eat the ashfall, and piss on that pest Taal”) 

This time, the media reported Duterte’s remarks with comments on the insensitivity of his words. Criticism by senators and netizens provided the angle for the media, with the accounts emphasizing the fact that the plight of the people is no laughing matter. 

Posting on July 2, Philstarnews quickly looked back on Duterte’s comments last year. While Inquirer took the challenge of responding literally but with tongue in cheek, with a feature referring to a scientist who had to respond to this kind of question from students and the like, providing scientific information that showed up the offensiveness of the president’s levity. 

Extra Effort

Apart from what Duterte said, other media organizations published more information about the recent eruption: on July 1, Fyt re-published an animated explainer which used graphics, effectively differentiating this eruption from others, including the danger of their effects. Other efforts added to public knowledge on July 2: CNN Philippines pointed out the difference between the 2020 and 2021 eruptions in their explainer, highlighting the worst-case scenario; while Rappler published ‘Volcanoes: A list of words you need to know’ that explained geological terms to help the public make  sense of what volcanologists were saying.

Philstar.com, Manila Bulletin, GMA News, ABS-CBN and Rappler  went round the clock to keep Filipinos informed on the status of the volcano, live streaming and airing live updates, including the status of local communities. 

The coverage also made full use of data from PHIVOLCS-DOST including hazard maps, drone shots, and other aids for data visualization. 

Learning from 2020

Taal Volcano’s unrest highlighted the capacity of media coverage to keep the public well informed. While the media were caught off guard by Taal’s sudden explosion last year, this time, media went to work even before the explosion and  maintained their watch, adding as necessary the impact of the pandemic on an already problematic situation.  

This is a valuable service for those who are outside the danger zone who need to know about their families and friends in the afflicted areas. It also helps affected communities by making possible effective relief response from the outside.  As for giving the people’s negative feedback to the president, it should become a habit. He may not listen but at least the media know they have done their duty.