To all our avid readers who have families in the Batangas, Laguna , Cavite and Quezon areas, here is an update on the current situation surrounding the possible eruption of the Taal Volcano which remains at Alert Level 3 to date.
- Today at 8 am (Friday), the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) reported a 2:59 am phreatomagmatic (both magmatic gases and steam from groundwater are expelled) bursts preceding Thursdays bursts at 6:47 am, 6:06 pm and 9:50 pm.
- Total number of earthquakes so far is at 58 in the past 24-hour period including 5 explosion-type earthquakes, 24 low-frequency volcanic earthquakes, 27 volcanic tremor events lasting 1 to 6 minutes and 2 hybrid earthquakes.
- Sulfur dioxide emission has reached to 6,095 tons per day (as of Thursday)
- Steam-rich plumes (long cloud of smoke shooting up) reached a height of 1,200 meters drifting northwest from the main crater
PHIVOLCS reiterated that an explosive eruption is possible.
This doubles the challenging situation provided by the pandemic leaving people from around the area no choice but to evacuate – with nowhere to run from either the pandemic or the possible eruption. Currently, efforts have been made by NASSA/Caritas in cooperation with faith-based organizations in the area to distribute masks to help families cope with the changing air quality due to the fumes from the volcano.
More updates on the Taal Volcano eruption next week.