Japan has provided relief assistance, coursed through the Japan International Cooperation Agency, including N95 masks, to the Philippines to be distributed to residents affected by the eruption of Taal Volcano.

Japanese Embassy Charge d'Affaires Yamamoto Yasushi and Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista signed the deed of donation for "in-kind relief assistance" during a ceremony held at the Department of Social Welfare and Development headquarters in Quezon City.

The relief assistance includes 10,000 N95 masks, 5,500 portable water, 5,000 portable jerry can, and 5 sets of generators and cord reels.

"We empathize with Filipinos whose lives have been interrupted by sudden eruption of Taal Volcano," Yamamoto said during the event.

He noted that the Philippines is similar to Japan, which has also active volcanos.

Bautista thanked Japan for its assistance for the Taal-displaced families.

In an interview after the event, Bautista said the Japanese donation would primarily go to displaced families who are still in evacuation centers.

"We prioritize the evacuation centers where there are still evacuees," he said.

Last Sunday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology lowered the alert status of the Taal Volcano from Level 4 to 3.

With this, evacuees were allowed to return to their homes, except those in Agoncillo, Laurel, and Taal Island where the volcano is located.

Bautista said the government has declared Taal Island as no man's land and the displaced families have remained in the evacuation centers mostly in Sto. Tomas.

As of 5am, January 29, 8,390 families have returned home and 274 evacuation centers in Region IV-A have been closed, according to DSWD Calabarzon Regional Director Annie Mendoza.

However, she said four evacuation centers were newly opened in Tanza and Noveleta in Cavite, she said.

So far, there were still 399 evacuation centers with 17,840 families of 62,086 evacuees in 51 local government units in Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, and Quezon.

On the other hand, there were 43,199 families or 163,416 individuals who were taking temporary shelter outside the evacuation centers. Celerina Monte/DMS