Duterte orders to raid businesses that hoard face masks

President Rodrigo Duterte has no choice to order authorities to enter the warehouse of businesspeople involved in hoarding face masks in the country.

The president said this in the middle of the report that the face mask had run out of the market due to the eruption of the Taal Volcano.

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Also read: Vendors capitalize on Taal ashfall, N95 masks sold for P200

According to the president, he does not want business people to take advantage of ordinary people, especially during disasters.

At the same time, the president has ordered the Department of Health (DOH), police, and soldiers to distribute free face masks to residents affected by the Taal Volcanic eruption.

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The president had earlier said he wanted to control the price of the face mask after it was reported that masks’ price has tripled following the eruption of the Taal Volcano.

According to the president, the government is also ready to issue additional funding to meet the needs of affected residents.

Meanwhile, while he conducted aerial inspection yesterday, President Duterte will still visit affected residents in Batangas today.

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Duterte said he would try to visit the areas affected by volcanic eruptions.

Air quality worse during New Year, no need to wear face masks for ashfall in Metro Manila

An environmental scientist said on Monday that residents of Metro Manila do not need to wear face masks now following the ashfall brought by Taal Volcano’s eruption.

Dr. Gerry Bagtasa of the University of the Philippines Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology said in fact that the city’s air quality during New Year’s celebration is even much worse than what Taal’s ashfall had brought.

Bagtasa said the combination of the current weather and land cooling during the night prevented the ash to move down to Metro Manila’s surface.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration’s radar showed Taal Volcano spewed ash up to 30 kilometers high. The wind blew it at 12.5 km in height.

Read the full story here.