Stories of heroism and compassion often make us happy in times of calamities and natural disasters. Such as the guy who is giving away free masks to those affected by the Taal eruption.
The “small but terrible” Taal Volcano, the second most active volcano in the Philippines, recently erupted. It sent tons of volcanic ash up the sky – and this covered Batangas, Tagaytay, and other nearby areas in several inches of brownish-grey material. Due to strong winds heading north, the volcanic ash quickly spread to other towns and cities, even reaching Metro Manila and some parts of Northern Luzon.
Photo credit: Tagaytay City Cavite Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council / Inquirer
As residents scrambled to flee from Taal’s wrath, evacuating the island and Batangas in fear of the earthquakes and the imminent explosive eruption as Alert Level 4 was raised by seismologists, people were also advised to use face masks.
Since volcanic ash is not really like your ordinary ash as it actually contains metals and glass particles, inhalation of this volcanic material can really be dangerous to your health! Thus, everyone is told to wear masks.
N95 masks are preferred because these will filter out even the smallest particles. Surgical masks are not so useful but are still a good alternative to those who have no choice because the N95 masks are sold out.
Photo credit: Karmela Dasig Ramos / Facebook
Netizen Karmela Dasig Ramos were among those who were evacuating the area when they passed by Savemore GMA, Cavite. They saw a man handing out masks for free. The boxes at his feet showed that he was distributing Morse Protection masks.
According to shopping website Rakuten Global Market, Morse Protection masks have N99 standards and filter more particles than the recommended N95 masks.
It is admirable that this man is helping others by giving masks for free. While there are stores taking advantage of the demand by increasing the prices of masks, people like this man are buying boxes of masks to distribute for free! Truly admirable…
