The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported a minor phreatomagmatic activity at the Taal Main Crater in Batangas, with plumes rising 2,400 meters high that drifted southeast on Thursday afternoon.
In a video footage released by the seismic agency, the volcano was seen spewing steam between 3:01 to 3:13 p.m. on July 17, 2025.
Phivolcs said it registered at least three eruptive events that lasted between four to six minutes based on visual, seismic, and infrasound recordings.
“This kind of volcanic activity/eruption of Taal Volcano, being at Alert Level 1, has been usual and recurring since 2021,” it said, citing information from Phivolcs Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division chief Ma. Antonia Bornas.
Bornas, who spoke with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), noted this event does not affect its ongoing retrieval activities in the Taal Lake because the direction of the plume is opposite the location of its search operations.
The PCG is currently engaged with complicated underwater exploration in Taal Lake due to the reopened investigation into the case of the ‘missing sabungeros.’
“The high-risk area for phreatic and phreatomagmatic eruptions is the Taal Volcano Island or TVI,” Phivolcs said, noting this area remains under the permanent danger zone.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated.
