MANILA – Taal Volcano has been placed under alert level two by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs) on Tuesday as it showed signs of “increased unrest.”
Alert level two according to Phivolcs director Renato Solidum, Jr., means eruption may or may not happen.
Phivolcs, in its advisory, said the volcano has been displaying increased activities on the following parameters: volcanic earthquakes, changes in the main crater lake, ground deformation, and “microgravity changes” since Feb. 13.
“The past month was a period of restlessness for Taal Volcano as we have recorded 28 volcanic tremors and four low-frequency volcanic earthquakes in the past 24 hours alone,” Mariton Bornas, the institute’s Volcano Monitoring chief said in an interview with CNN Philippines’ The Source.
Under alert level two, evacuation is not yet recommended but Phivolcs reminded the public that Taal Volcano Island is a permanent danger zone and entry must remain strictly prohibited.
Phivolcs urged the local government units to continuously assess previously evacuated barangays around Taal Lake for damages and road accessibilities and to strengthen preparedness, contingency, and communication measures in case of renewed unrest.
The department also advised the residents to be always prepared, to keep calm and listen to information only from trusted or verified sources.
In its advisory, it said that civil aviation authorities must advise pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano as airborne ash and ballistic fragments from sudden explosions and wind-remobilized ash may pose hazards to aircraft.
In January last year, Taal Volcano has reached alert level four after it spewed out lava. Cities and towns nearby were covered with ash, while thousands of residents were evacuated due to the threat of an explosive eruption./PN
