Number of Taal Volcano evacuees rises to 5,000
THE Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) yesterday said there are no are no indication that Taal Volcano in Batangas will make an “explosive eruption” similar to that in January 2020 that displaced more than 400,000 people.
Phivolcs director Renato Solidum made the statement after Taal exhibited a series of phreatomagmatic eruptions since Saturday, which prompted authorities to raise Alert Level 3 (magmatic unrest), from Alert Level 2 (increased unrest).
“Based on the current parameters, we don’t see the potential of a large eruption similar to the January 2020 eruption as of now,” Solidum said in an interview over the ABS-CBN News Channel.
Solidum said an “explosive eruption” may occur if deep magma will rise to the surface fast enough and prevent sulfur dioxide from escaping.
“We haven’t seen the parameters yet that would warrant that kind of interpretation,” he said.
Evacuation continues, especially those from five high-risk barangays. Some of the evacuees were given time to return to their homes to attend to their animals.
The number of evacuees has risen to around 5,000 as of yesterday morning, from about 4,000 since Taal started acting up on Saturday.
Joselito Castro, head of the Batangas provincial risk reduction and management office, also said the evacuees are from 19 barangays in Laurel, Agoncillo and nearby towns, including five barangays considered as “high risk” areas — Bilibinwang and Banyaga in Agoncillo town and Boso-boso, Gulod and Bugaan East in Laurel town.
He said 1,166 families or 4,053 individuals are housed in 18 evacuation centers while 331 other families or 1,404 individuals are staying with their relatives.
Solidum said there are no signs of deep magma developing in the same way as that which led to the January 2020.
“Not yet. But we have to constantly monitor the volcano in more detail because if there will be explosions at the Taal Volcano, it might enhance the deep magma to rise just like what happened in 2020,” he said.
“However, compared to the 2020, we haven’t really seen some other parameters like the inflation of the volcano. The volcano is somewhat deflated yet so there is not much pressure from the shallow levels of the volcano, except for the possible blockage of sulfur dioxide gas that would increase the pressure. But not so much,” added Solidum.
Solidum said the recent activities of Taal Volcano are normal.
He said that after the 1965 major eruption that killed more than 200 people, eruption with magma coming out of the crater occurred in the following years, from 1966 to 1970.
“So this activity of the Taal volcano, from 2020, ‘21 and ‘22 are just normal because of the fact that once the volcano explodes, there is an immediate supply of magma. Once the magma is resupplied right away, the potential of continuing its activity will be there,” said Solidum.
Solidum said Phivolcs has not recorded any volcanic earthquake in the past 24 hours, until yesterday morning. But it emitted plumes as high as 1,000 meters.
Alert Level 3 will maintained, Solidum said, because “sulfur dioxide gas content would be around 1,000 tons per day, still above normal and because of this activities we have seen the past few days.”
Solidum said five barangays — Bilibinwang and Banyaga in Agoncillo town and Boso-boso, Gulod and Bugaan East in Laurel town — are still considered “high-risk” areas and should be vacated.
In January 2020, Taal had phreatic or steam-driven eruptions that warranted the declaration of Alert Level 4 (hazardous eruption imminent). The event displaced more that 400,000 people, according Office of Civil Defense at the Calabarzon region.
In July last year, there were also phreatomagmatic eruptions that led to Alert Level 3 and the evacuation of some 3,000 residents.