By ELLALYN RUIZ * AARON RECUENCO * MARTIN SADONGDONG
Authorities rushed to evacuate at least 8,000 people who are living within the striking distance of volcanic materials after Taal Volcano in Batangas spewed ash on Sunday afternoon.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has raised the alert status of Taal Volcano from Level 1 to 2 following its steam-driven explosion.
As of 3 p.m. Sunday, a report from the Batangas Provincial Police disclosed that all residents of Sitio San Isidro and Sitio Tabla, both located on Pulo Island near Taal Volcano, were advised to evacuate as soon as possible.
“They were advised to force-evacuate the perimeter of the volcano,” the police report read.
Local officials of Talisay, where the two sitios were located, have declared Alert Level 3 in order to expedite the evacuation.
The evacuation is ongoing and police forces were tapped to assist.
“Lethal po ang gaseous component ng ni-release po na steam aside from the fact that it’s super hot,” said National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) spokesperson Mark Timbal.
In a radio interview, Joselito Castro, head of the Batangas Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, said the initial number of people they aim to evacuate are 8,000.
The priority of the evacuation, he said, are residents of volcano island and parts of San Nicolas, Talisay, and Balete.
Based on its latest monitoring, Phivolcs has observed increased steaming activity in at least five spots inside Taal Volcano’s main crater at around 1 p.m. Sunday.
The largest activity was manifested by a phreatic or steam-driven explosion and has so far generated a plume approximately 100 meters high.
Since March 28, 2019, Science and Technology Undersecretary and Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum earlier pointed out that Taal volcano’s seismic network has manifested moderate to high level of seismic activity.
Some of the earthquakes were felt with intensities ranging from Intensity I to “scarcely perceptible” to Intensity III or “weak shaking” in the villages of Calauit, Balete, Sitio Tibag, Pira-Piraso, and Buco in Talisay, and Alas-as and Pulangbato in San Nicolas.
Phivolcs said the felt earthquakes were usually accompanied by rumbling sounds.
On Sunday, three earthquake events were felt at 7:35 a.m., 10:43 a.m., and 2:00 p.m.
“A seismic swarm has started at around 11:00 a.m. and ongoing as of 2:10 p.m.,” it added.
In raising the Taal Volcano’s alert status from 1 to 2, Phivolcs pointed out that there is “probable magmatic intrusion that may or may not lead to an eruption.”
It reminded the public that the main crater of Taal Volcano should be strictly off-limits because sudden steam explosions can occur and high concentrations of toxic volcanic gases can be released.
The northern portion of the main crater rim, in the vicinity of Daang Kastila Trail, can also become hazardous when steam emission along existing fissures suddenly increases.