An anniversary story that requires travel to a remote area is not an easy pitch these days, but Manila photographer Aaron Favila had a vision for a visually-driven package marking the year since the violent Taal volcano eruption in the Philippines.
With his newly acquired drone pilot license, Favila knew that drone photography would make unique still and video images of the ash-covered ghost town, the type of images usually seen in documentaries and magazines like National Geographic. He also learned that many residents of the volcanic island still remained homeless in a temporary tent city.
Erosion to volcanic ash deposits is seen at the Taal volcano, Jan. 10, 2021, almost a year after it erupted in Batangas province, Philippines.
AP Photo / Aaron Favila
The Philippines’ Taal volcano south of Manila erupts Jan. 12, 2020. A year later, much of the surrounding area is a wasteland deep in ash, and residents have not been allowed to return to the island, many of them living in tents in a resettlement area.
AP Photo / Aaron Favila
Fisherman Rogelito Cacao looks at the remains of his house at the Taal volcano, Jan. 10, 2021, almost a year after the volcano erupted in Batangas province, Philippines. Cacao regularly visits the area after feeding fish at the pens on the Taal lake.
AP Photo / Aaron Favila
A fisherman walks past volcanic ash deposits at the Taal volcano, Jan. 10, 2021, almost a year after the volcano erupted in Batangas province, Philippines.
AP Photo / Aaron Favila
The remains of the Alas-as elementary school are seen amid eroded volcanic ash deposits at the Taal volcano, Jan. 10, 2021, almost a year after the volcano erupted in Batangas province, Philippines.
AP Photo / Aaron Favila
A man who previously lived at Taal volcano arranges his laundry under a makeshift shelter at a relocation site in Balete, Batangas province, Philippines, Jan. 10, 2021. Some families are still living in tents and have resorted to taking odd jobs to make a living as the government has prevented them from returning back to their homes almost a year after Taal volcano erupted on Jan. 12, 2020.
AP Photo / Aaron Favila
A boy, right, feeds roosters outside tents at a relocation site for displaced volcano victims in Balete, Batangas province, Philippines, Jan. 10, 2021.
AP Photo / Aaron Favila
Luisa Silva, a former resident of Taal volcano, arranges her kitchen in her tent at a relocation site in Balete, Batangas province, Philippines, Jan. 10, 2021. The Jan. 12, 2020 eruption displaced thousands of villagers living near the volcano just months before the COVID-19 pandemic broke in the country.
AP Photo / Aaron Favila
John Paulo Silva, a former resident at Taal volcano, brushes his teeth outside the family’s tent at a relocation site in Balete, Batangas province, Philippines, Jan. 10, 2021.
AP Photo / Aaron Favila
Displaced residents who lived at Taal volcano until last year’s eruption, stand outside their tents at a relocation site in Balete, Batangas province, Philippines, Jan. 10, 2021.
AP Photo / Aaron Favila
Residents who previously lived at Taal volcano pray at a chapel at a relocation site in Balete, Batangas province, Philippines, Jan. 10, 2021.
AP Photo / Aaron Favila
An image of the Virgin Mary recovered from Taal volcano after its eruption almost a year ago, stands inside a chapel at a relocation site in Balete, Batangas province, Philippines, Jan. 10, 2021.
AP Photo / Aaron Favila
A couple poses for a selfie with the Taal volcano, Jan. 10, 2021, almost a year after the volcano erupted in Batangas province, Philippines. A popular tourist destination with a picturesque setting in the middle of a lake south of Manila, Taal erupted on Jan. 12, 2020, raining down ash and displacing thousands of villagers living near the area.
AP Photo / Aaron Favila
The remains of the Alas-as elementary school are buried in volcanic ash at Taal volcano, Jan. 10, 2021, almost a year after the volcano erupted in Batangas province, Philippines.
AP Photo / Aaron Favila
After getting approval for the project, he set out to deliver all-format coverage. He did extensive research of the area and made contacts via local drone pilots, then drove in the early morning to the volcano, only to find that weather was less than ideal for drone work. A local fisherman ferried Favila to the island that is home to the volcano.
The drone app told him it was too windy to fly, but Favila knew the visuals would be strong — and it might be his only chance. He launched the drone and kept receiving strong wind warnings during the flight, but he was able to keep the drone airborne long enough to get stunning photos and video.
After walking around the ash-covered island, Favila visited another area where many people still live in tents. Residents of the island, which is a popular tourist destination, lost their livelihood: livestock animals and the farmland where they grow vegetables. He interviewed people who have had to live in the tents through typhoons, excessive heat and even the pandemic, capturing their touching accounts on video, humanizing the story for an impressive one-person package.