More than 4,000 people remain in evacuation centers in Batangas, a week since magmatic unrest was reported in Taal Volcano that raised its alert status to Level 3, the regional disaster office said Sunday.
The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Calabarzon said 4,135 individuals were still staying in 21 evacuation centers in Lemery, Agoncillo, and Laurel towns in Batangas.
Taal Volcano was placed on Alert Level 3 last March 26 after its “main crater generated a short-lived phreatomagmatic burst,” with plumes reaching as high as 1,500 meters.
As a result, Phivolcs recommended that Taal Volcano Island and the high-risk barangays of Bilibinwang and Banyaga in Agoncillo, and Boso-boso, Gulod and eastern Bugaan East in Laurel be evacuated “due to the possible hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami should stronger eruptions” occur.
In its 8 a.m. bulletin Sunday, Phivolcs said that during the last 24 hours, Taal Volcano’s main crater was monitored with upwelling of hot volcanic fluids in its lake which generated 900-meter-tall plumes that drifted southwest.
Due to the possible danger from pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami should there be stronger eruptions, Phivolcs reiterated that Taal Volcano Island and the high-risk barangays
Bilibinwang and Banyaga in the municipality of Agoncillo and Boso-boso, Gulod and eastern Bugaan East in the municipality of Laurel, Batangas were evacuated.
It added that Taal Volcano Island is a Permanent Danger Zone.
Up to 5,261 people have sought temporary shelter in 25 evacuation centers since the crisis started anew last weekend, the RDRRMC report showed.
Taal, one of the active volcanoes in the country, had 17 volcanic earthquakes in the past 24 hours, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.
These include four volcanic tremor events lasting from one to two minutes, and 13 low-frequency volcanic earthquakes, Phivolcs said in its bulletin.
Hot volcanic fluids continued upwelling in the volcano’s crater lake, which led to plumes rising 900 meters tall before these drifted southwest.
An average of 1,232 tonnes of sulfur dioxide was emitted by the volcano on Saturday.
There are also 4,982 others who are staying with their relatives and friends, mostly in Batangas, the report added. A few of them are in Tagaytay City and Calamba City.
The RDRRMC said a total of 3,068 families or 10,415 people from 20 barangays in Batangas have been affected by the Taal Volcano phreatomagmatic bursts.
Some P2.6 million worth of assistance had been provided, the report said.
