Occupants flee restive Taal volcano island
Fifty relatively weak tremors signaling increased hydrothermal activities beneath Taal Volcano Island were recorded from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday
Authorities in Batangas have been implementing forced evacuation from Taal Island since Monday following increased seismic activities.
Alex Masiglat, Office of Civil Defense-Calabarzon spokesperson, said members of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) continued evacuation efforts on Tuesday morning, following orders from the provincial government.
Thousands of residents and business were affected when Taal Volcano erupted on 12 January 2020. Ashfall reached as far as the National Capital Region.
“It was declared a no man’s land. There shouldn’t have been occupants there. Now, because of the recent activities, we’ve asked them to leave, “Masiglat said over the phone.
The evacuated individuals were temporary occupants of the island as they only stay when fishing or farming for livelihood.
The evacuation was from the volcano island itself, not in lakeside areas, Masiglat clarified.
“If alert levels increase, we will cover more areas for evacuation. But for now, it’s just the volcano island,” he said.
PCG spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo said they evacuated at least 100 residents of Pulo, which is how residents call the volcano island.
“Upon the signal from the Municipal Administrator of Talisay, Batangas, joint elements of the police, disaster risk management office and PCG onboard five PCG water assets departed Talisay fishport en route to Volcano Island to make advisory, inspection and fetch the people,” the PCG report from Batangas said.
On Monday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) issued an advisory of slight increase in seismic activities in Taal Volcano and changes at the main crater lake.
Alert level 1 remained as of Tuesday.
Fifty relatively weak tremors signaling increased hydrothermal activities beneath Taal Volcano Island were recorded from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Phivolcs said.
From 13 February, a total of 68 shallow tremors episodes have occurred, while a “continuous acidification” of lake water, unseasonal temperature high gas flux ratios and slight ground deformation were observed at the main crater and across the volcano.
The activities, according to Phivolcs, were “consistent with continuous magmatic degassing and hydrothermal unrest.”
Thousands of residents and business were affected when Taal Volcano erupted on 12 January 2020. Ashfall reached as far as the National Capital Region and neighboring provinces like Laguna.