 In Batangas City, Vice Gov.

Jose Antonio
Leviste III said seven towns surrounding Taal
Lake had been placed under a state of
calamity following a massive fishkill.

The move authorized the release of P10

million to assist the stricken residents of
Talisay, Laurel, Agoncillo, San Nicolas,
Alitagtag, Cuenca and Sta. Teresita towns.
 Fish losses in Batangas as of June 1 have
been placed at 972.6 metric tons, valued at
P76.586 million, according to Esmeralda Paz
Manalang, officer in charge of the Bureau of
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in
Calabarzon.
 Most of the dead fish were milkfish but also
included other varieties such as biya, apta,
katanga, siliw and muang.
 Manalang said the disaster was caused by
abrupt changes in weather, low oxygen level
at the lake and its deteriorating water quality.
 Taal Lake, where at least 6,000 fish cages
have been set up, is not yet fit to raise fishes
because the dissolved oxygen (DO) in the lake
was still 3.71 parts per million (ppm), which
was still way below from the acceptable 6
ppm, Manalang said.