PHOTOS | Volcano Island engulfed in ash
(Text and photos by Bernard Testa)
Roberto Sentiles (center) and members of his family as they pose for a picture in a shelter. Sentiles‘ livelihood disappeared when Taal volcano erupted this January.
For more than twenty years, Roberto Sentiles earned his keep by renting out horses to tourists who rode them up to Taal Volcano in Batangas, a province two hours south of Manila.
He gets PhP500 (US$10) for every visitor on horseback climbing to see the crater of the volcano, which is on an island that is surrounded by a lake.
The climb takes 40 minutes while the descent is roughly half that time, he said.
But in January, Sentiles’ livelihood disappeared.
This one didn’t make it.
Taal erupted that month, releasing clouds of ash that later buried the village at the foot of the volcano where they lived (and which blanketed nearby areas, including some in Metro Manila).
A resident points out the extent of the damage on his house on Volcano island.
The eruption prompted residents to flee their village, forcing them to abandon some 1,500 animals — including livestock — on the island.
But as Taal simmered down, the residents came back for their furry friends, practically going against a government order that disallowed entry in areas located near the volcano.
Whether canine or feline, equine or porcine, the surviving animals were rescued with the help of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Unlike some other horses, this one took time before jumping off the boat.
It won’t be long before the residents — like Sentiles and his family — may soon require similar assistance themselves.
Besides needing a regular supply of food, clothing, and other items, residents need to rebuild their lives outside the confines of their temporary shelter in Sto.Tomas, Batangas.
But that might take years, even decades.
In the meantime, Sentiles and his family — like all the survivors — are taking it day by day, thankful that they survived.
These horses take a break shortly after being rescued a week after the eruption.
