(UPDATED) The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised the alert status of Taal Volcano shortly after a short-lived phreatomagmatic eruption that generated a plume as high as one kilometer on Thursday, July 1, 2021.
Taal Volcano is now under Alert Level 3, which means there is magmatic unrest and there could be more eruptions.
“This means that there is magmatic intrusion at the main crater that may further drive succeeding eruptions,” Phivolcs said in a statement.
The agency said the main crater generated a one-kilometer-high short-lived dark phreatomagmatic plume at 3:16 p.m. Thursday. There was no accompanying volcanic earthquake.
Phivolcs recommended that Taal Volcano Island and the high-risk barangays of Agoncillo and Laurel in Batangas be evacuated due to possible hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami. Entry into these areas is prohibited.
In a virtual press conference with Phivolcs, Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas said the Provincial Government has deployed trucks to the high-risk areas to transport the evacuees.
Phivolcs also advised communities around the Taal Lake shore to take precautionary measures and be vigilant of possible lakewater disturbances.
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecretary Renato Solidum Jr., officer-in-charge of Phivolcs, said residents who are likely to be affected in case of a bigger eruption are advised to monitor developments, follow instructions of their local government units, prepare an emergency bag containing essentials and be ready to evacuate.
In case of an ash fall, he said it would be best for affected residents to stay at home and wear N95 masks.
The volcano’s last phreatomagmatic eruption occurred on January 12 to 13, 2020, crippling parts of Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Metro Manila. Phivolcs hoisted Alert Level 4, which means that hazardous eruption was imminent.
Volcanic activity, including the earthquakes, decelerated over the next two weeks, prompting Phivolcs to lower the alert level on January 26 and further on February 14. On March 19, 2020, Phivolcs lowered to volcano’s status to Alert Level 1 as volcanic earthquakes declined, ground deformation stabilized, and activity at the main crater weakened.
About a year later, on March 9, 2021, Phivolcs again raised volcano’s status to Alert Level 2 because of increasing unrest beginning February 13. (Marites Villamor-Ilano / Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines)