One economic principle by Mankiw states that “There is no such thing as free lunch”. That’s why people work so hard to earn money and of course they earn money in different ways, depending on what work they have. For the people who live near the Taal Volcano, they earn money from sailing a boat, taking pictures of tourists, placing an entrance fee for every tourist, being a tour guide, a caretaker of horses and selling hats, face masks, drinks and more. Last December 27, we went to Taal Volcano, because of that I was able to know what kind of living does the people have there. Upon arriving in Talisay Batangas, we met kuya Mike who owns a boat. Their regular rate for the boat ride is 1,500 pesos good for 6 persons but kuya Mike gave us a discount.

 

I think it took us 20mins before we arrive at the Taal Volcano. You have to pay 50 pesos for the entrance fee upon arriving there. Well, this is for the consumption fees of the people in the barrio for taking care of the surroundings of Taal Volcano. You have to choose between 450 pesos worth of horseback riding or 500 pesos for a tour guide to get to see the crater of the Taal Volcano. At first, my mom and dad chose to walk while my sister and I rode a horse but suddenly they couldn’t take the dust and the long walk so they called for another horse for them.

We didn’t expect that we would be riding horses and go for 5km just to reach the crater of the Taal Volcano that’s why we weren’t ready for dust and for the sunlight exposure but it’s not a huge problem for the tourists because people in that barrio also offers face masks, hats and drinks. If tourists can’t take a picture while riding the horse or walking for 5km, it’s not a problem at all because the people in the barrio also take pictures of you and try to sell those pictures to you for 40 pesos each.

 

It seems that they have lots of ways to earn money, yes they have but it’s actually not enough for them. We were able to interview our guide and he said that they do not earn that much for the horses. He said that they do not own the horses, they only rent them and take good care of those horses. They only get 50 pesos from the 450 pesos worth of horseback riding. He said that they pay the remaining money for the rental fee. They also don’t get to go outside Taal Volcano that much because it is too expensive for them. The only time that they get to go outside the Taal Volcano is when the government provides service for the children for them to go to school. We also asked if they’re afraid of living there (because we all know that Taal Volcano is an active volcano), he said that they were already used to live there since he was a child and PHILVOCS always update them regarding the status of the volcano so they don’t worry that much.      

Seeing how hard it is for them to earn for living, I was able to reflect for a short while that I’m very blessed enough to have what I’ve already have. Be thankful for all the blessings that we received and receiving. If you guys have time to have a vacation, try visiting Talisay Batangas and discover the wonders of Taal Volcano!