Visibility was close to zero for days, thanks to the soot hanging in the air, and supplies of electricity and water were also sporadic for weeks afterwards.

By the end of January, more than 100,000 people had been displaced, as those living near the volcano were forced to take shelter in evacuation centres.

Casauay, like many local business owners, had little choice but to shut up shop – the local government of Tagaytay had ordered all establishments, including large hotels, to close for 10 days following the eruption as the danger level was set to four on the five-tier system.

She was eventually able to reopen in February, but other businesses in the lakeside town of Talisay, some seven kilometres closer to the volcano, were not so lucky.

NDN Resort and Events Place, which makes “at least 90 per cent” of its income from events according to manager Ganie Orna, saw all but one of its bookings for the first two months of the year cancelled or postponed after about 20 truckloads of ash were dumped on the property by the eruption.

Even parts of Batangas province not directly affected by fallen ash or other repercussions saw a decline in tourism, as visitors stayed away amid fears the volcano may roar back into life again.

The occupancy rate at the 136-room Lima Park Hotel in Lipa City, despite it being 19-kilometres away from the volcano and outside the official danger zone, has dwindled since the eruption, said Rose Landicho, the hotel's marketing and corporate communications director. The hotel usually expects a steady stream of visitors at this time of the year since it mostly hosts business tourists.

Business began draining away before the last of the ash had settled – a group of 500 or so guests who had planned to hold a company summit at the hotel cut short their stay a day after the eruption occurred.

“Even though we had ambulances ready, and electricity and water supply in our property were steady, we couldn’t stop them [from leaving],” Landicho said.

As cancellations grew, Batangas province’s tourism industry recorded losses of some 169 million pesos (US$3.3 million) by March, according to official figures. Tourist numbers over the same period were down to 107,000, from more than 1 million in previous years.

And it was not just the volcano keeping people away any more – as Taal’s danger level had been lowered to the second tier by mid-February, hotel and restaurant managers were hopeful that tourists would start to return, but then local cases of the coronavirus infection Covid-19 started to pile up.

“We were only slowly picking ourselves up, and then the [increase] in coronavirus [cases] happened,” said Sylvia Marasigan, tourism and cultural affairs officer for the province.

The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the Philippines has climbed to 462 as of Monday, with deaths rising to 33, according to the latest data from the health department.

No one is allowed in or out of the region unless for work, medical purposes or emergencies. Public transport has also been suspended, as have community assemblies and other “non-essential” gatherings.

By the time the quarantine is over, Holy Week – when most of the country goes on holiday and many in the capital flock to Batangas for some respite from the mounting heat or to observe the Catholic celebration in the province’s churches – will have been and gone.

Though 90 per cent of the province’s tourism is domestic, foreign visitors are also staying away in the wake of the eruption and virus pandemic.

Those hardest hit by the tourism slump will inevitably be the workers, as although larger establishments such as Lima Park and NDN Resort and Events Place might be able to continue paying staff despite the lack of customers, smaller businesses cannot.

When Kuuma Kaakao ceased operations in January, cafe owner Casauay said she had no choice but to put staff on unpaid leave.

A similar story is unfolding at Sonya’s Garden, a bed and breakfast in Tagaytay City which used to serve more than 1,000 guests per day in its in-house restaurant. Fewer than 30 could be seen dining there on a recent afternoon.

Sonya Garcia, the owner, said she would soon be forced to start letting people go if things do not improve. “I’m even thinking of selling my personal collection of paintings so I can keep paying the salaries of my staff,” she said.

Amid the uncertainty, the area’s small business owners are doing everything they can to keep the lights on. Garcia said she had started to offer short business and wellness classes in an effort to curb losses, while Casauay said she was focusing on future bookings to try and turn the tide. How these plans will work out amid the coronavirus pandemic remains to be seen.

“All of these unfortunate events are really out of my control,” Casauay said. “So I’d rather work on keeping my business running. I have to.” ■