Let me start by letting you know this isn’t a volcanic eruption. It’s not a big natural disaster. Most of the Philippines isn’t affected. But if your OFS lives in Luzon, you may want to check in on them.
Taal volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines, started releasing a lot of smoke, causing smog to fall over a really large area. This smog is a serious health risk. It reduced overall visibility, created acid rain, and caused respiratory issues. It’s so bad that even indoors, the government was forced to reimpose a mask mandate for several days. But the smog was so thick some people reported that their light-colored masks would darken after a few hours.
The smog has mostly subsided, even in the places closest to the volcano. But if you want to learn more about it, there’s a timeline of that news here: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/09/27/2272880/live-updates-mayon-volcano-restiveness
My son is really close to this and has been significantly affected. Fortunately conditions are much improved now.
John