Taal Volcano: Philippine city turns ash into bricks to aid rebuilding efforts
- A city neighbouring the province where Taal Volcano is located is collecting ash to turn them into bricks at a state-owned factory
- The facility can produce up to 5,000 bricks a day which will be used to rebuild schools damaged by the eruption
The mayor of Biñan, in the neighbouring province of Laguna, has ordered residents to collect ash blanketing homes, cars and roads and put it in sacks to be sent to a state-owned factory and turned into bricks.
“When the ash came, we thought we’d exchange the white sand which we mix with plastics to be converted into bricks with ash. We did it and they came out sturdy,” said Biñan Mayor Walfredo Dimaguila, 48.
The facility can produce up to 5,000 bricks a day which will be used to rebuild schools damaged since Taal, one of the Philippines’ most active and deadliest volcanoes, began spewing massive clouds of ash, steam and gas on Sunday.
“What we plan is to turn them into hollow blocks and bricks and sell them to interested companies,” said Dimaguila, adding that the proceeds would be donated to people directly affected by the restive volcano.
